 "Smoke rises after several blasts were heard in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday. Reuters")
The Israeli military on Tuesday said it carried out a targeted strike against senior Hamas leaders in Doha, prompting sharp condemnation from Qatar and Iran, both of which called the attack a violation of international law and Qatari sovereignty.
The strike, which reportedly hit near Hamas’s political bureau in the Qatari capital, came after multiple explosions were heard in the Katara district, according to media reports and eyewitnesses.
“The IDF (Israeli military) and ISA (security agency) conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation,” AFP quoted the military as saying, without specifying where the strike took place.
“For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organisation’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 (2023) massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel,” the military added.
Tuesday’s strikes come less than two weeks after armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir vowed to targed the group’s leaders based abroad.
“Most of Hamas’s leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well,” Zamir said on August 31.
“May all your enemies perish, Israel,” Culture Minister Miki Zohar posted on X.
According to Reuters, citing Israel media, the attack was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Khalil al-Hayya, its Gaza chief.
Meanwhile, a senior Hamas source told Al-Jazeera that the explosions were intended to target Hamas negotiating delegation as it was convening in Doha to discuss President Donald Trump’s proposal for a Gaza ceasefire.
Reacting to the development, Qatar strongly condemned the reported Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, describing it as a “cowardly” attack on residential areas.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsForeign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said the strike targeted buildings housing members of Hamas’s Political Bureau and called it a “criminal assault” and a “blatant violation of international laws and norms.”
He warned the attack poses a serious threat to the safety of Qataris and residents.
“Qatar will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour, the ongoing disruption of regional security, or any act that targets its sovereignty,” Ansari was quoted as saying.
He added that the incident is under investigation at the highest level.
Iran, a key backer of Hamas, condemned the attack as “gross violation”.
“This extremely dangerous and criminal action is a gross violation of all international rules and regulations, a violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” AFP quoted Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei as telling state TV.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called the strike a “criminal act” in a call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince affirmed the Kingdom’s full solidarity with… Qatar and its condemnation of the blatant Israeli attack on the State of Qatar, which constitutes a criminal act and a flagrant violation of international laws and norms,” read a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strike as a “flagrant violation” of Doha’s sovereignty.
“We are just learning about the Israeli attacks in Qatar, a country that has been playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and release of all hostages. I condemn this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,” AFP quoted Guterres as saying at a media briefing.
Hamas and Israel have engaged in multiple rounds of indirect ceasefire talks—brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US — throughout the nearly two-year Gaza war, but efforts have yet to yield a lasting truce.
Despite two brief ceasefires, negotiations have repeatedly stalled.
On Sunday, Hamas said it was ready to “immediately sit at the negotiating table” following new proposals from the U.S. aimed at reaching a deal.
US President Donald Trump issued a “last warning” to Hamas, demanding it accept a deal to release hostages taken during the October 2023 attack that triggered the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes targeting Hamas leaders after a deadly shooting in Jerusalem a day earlier claimed by the Palestinian militant group.
“Yesterday, following the deadly attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed all security agencies to prepare for the possibility of targeting Hamas leaders,” AFP quoted a joint statement from Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz.
“Today at noon, in light of an operational opportunity… the prime minister and the defence minister decided to implement the directive given last night.”
Meanwhile, the military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for yesterday’s attack in Jerusalem in which six people were killed.
In a statement, the terror group said that the assailants who carried out the attack, Muhammad Taha and Muthanna Amro, were members, reported Time of Israel.
No further details were provided about the planning or execution of the attack.
With inputs from agencies