Exhibit A of how Qatar’s propaganda operations infiltrate American media is the far-left, fanatically anti-Israel, Anglo-American television commentator Mehdi Hasan, who began his career at Al Jazeera and in 2020 became host of a show on MSNBC. When the network canceled it in late November, Hasan and his defenders complained loudly of the “silencing” of criticism of Israel and, of course, Islamophobia. In fact, as Christine Rosen explains, market forces drove him off the air:

As the Washington Post reported, Hasan’s show “regularly came in third place among the 25-to-54 demographic most valued by advertisers and averaged just 532,000 total viewers in October.” Those ratings got even worse after the horrific October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. As the New York Post reported, total viewers for MSNBC declined “24 percent for the four days between October 7 and 10, compared to the same period the previous week,” while viewership rose steeply for Fox News and somewhat for CNN during the same period.

This is perhaps because MSNBC hosts like Hasan refused to refer to Hamas killers as terrorists, preferring to call them “fighters” instead. They uncritically reported the Gaza Health Ministry’s false, inflated death tolls for Palestinians. And, in Hasan’s case, they frequently blamed Israel and its policies for the horrific attack on Israeli civilians—even going so far as to compare Israel’s response to Hamas to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These are all extremist views not shared by the vast majority of Americans.

And that’s a good thing.

On Monday night, the IDF struck a group of Hamas operatives near the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, the main city in southern Gaza. The very fact of this attack was reassuring, as it suggested that the release of Edan Alexander didn’t come with restraints on Israeli military activity. Then, yesterday afternoon, Israeli jets carried out another, larger attack on Khan Yunis, hitting a site where it believed Mohammad Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, to be hiding. The IDF has not yet confirmed that he was present. There is some hope that the death of Sinwar—who replaced his older brother Yahya after he was killed last year—could have a debilitating effect on Hamas.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is visiting the Persian Gulf, and it’s unclear how his diplomatic efforts there will affect Israel, its war with Hamas, and Iran. For its part, Jerusalem has committed to resume full-scale operations in Gaza after President Trump returns to the U.S. But, Gabi Simoni and Erez Winner explain, Israel does not have unlimited time to defeat Hamas:

Israel faces persistent security challenges across multiple fronts—Iran, the West Bank, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon—all demanding significant military resources, especially during periods of escalation. . . . Failing to achieve a decisive victory not only prolongs the conflict but also drains national resources and threatens Israel’s ability to obtain its strategic goals.

Only a swift, forceful military campaign can achieve the war’s objectives: securing the hostages’ release, ensuring Israeli citizens’ safety, and preventing future kidnappings. Avoiding such action won’t just prolong the suffering of the hostages and deepen public uncertainty—it will also drain national resources and weaken Israel’s standing in the region and beyond.

We recommend launching an intense military operation in Gaza without delay, with clear, measurable objectives—crippling Hamas’s military and governance capabilities and securing the release of hostages. Such a campaign should combine military pressure with indirect negotiations, maximizing the chances of a successful outcome while minimizing risks.

Crucially, the operation must be closely coordinated with the United States and moderate Arab states to reduce international pressure and preserve the gains of regional alliances.