Israel has carried out an airstrike against Hamas political leaders in Doha, which Qatar condemned as a “cowardly attack” and “criminal assault”.
Multiple explosions rocked the Qatari capital on Tuesday after Israeli forces said they launched a surprise strike.
Six are believed to have been killed in the bombing including five Hamas figures, and a member of the Qatari Internal Security Forces.
Hamas said in a statement none of those killed were part of its negotiating team, but the dead included Hammam, the son of their exiled leader and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, and the director of al-Hayya’s office.
The attack marked a significant escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas and drew swift condemnation from Arab leaders.
It is the first time Israel has targeted the Hamas leadership in Qatar, after assassination operations in Lebanon and Iran.
Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, criticised what he described as “Israel’s reckless behaviour” over the attack which he claimed targeted residential buildings housing senior Hamas political leaders.
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“The State of Qatar condemns in the strongest terms the cowardly Israeli attack… This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar,” he said in a statement posted on X.
US president Donald Trump described the Israeli strike as “unfortunate” and said the decision was made by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and not by the Republican leader.
“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Trump wrote on social media.
“However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”
Keir Starmer also condemned the strike saying it violated Qatar’s sovereignty and risked “further escalation across the region”.
“The priority must be an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a huge surge in aid into Gaza. This is the only solution towards long-lasting peace,” the prime minister posted on social media platform X.
The Israeli military declined to respond to requests for comment from The Independent about who was killed in the attack. Hamas confirmed five of its members died, including Hammam, the son of exiled leader Khalil al-Hayya and Jihad Labad, the director of al-Hayya’s office, the remaining three were listed as “companions”. The militant group said Israel “failed” to kill anyone in the negotiating team.
The Qatari interior ministry later said a member of its internal security service – Corporal Badr al-Dosari – was killed in the strike and a number of others were injured.
Israel’s attack on Qatar has raised serious questions about the future of Gaza ceasefire negotiations, in which Doha has played a key mediating role between Hamas and Israel. It has also ignited concerns of region-wide conflict.
Reports suggest the Israeli military had targeted a delegation of Hamas leaders gathered in Doha to discuss a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by the US. Hamas sources have accused the US of luring its members into a meeting “in order to attack them”.
Israel’s Channel 12, citing a senior Israeli official, reported that US Donald Trump gave the green light for the attack but Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuted those claims.
“Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” Netanyahu’s office said. “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
Trump has not issued a statement on the Israeli strike.
Arab leaders shared messages in solidarity with Qatar, which had already been caught in the crossfire of the Israeli and US conflict with Iran in June, when Tehran launched a retaliatory strike against the US by targeting Washington DC’s main military base in the region, located near Doha.
The United Arab Emirates, which normalised relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, called the Israeli Doha attack “blatant and cowardly”.
Abu Dhabi was already angry over an Israeli minister’s plan for annexation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, saying that was a red line that cannot be crossed.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described the strike as a “criminal act and a flagrant violation of international law”, while Iraq’s foreign ministry said it was a “cowardly act” that represents a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty and poses a threat to its security and stability.
Egypt said it set a dangerous precedent.
Pope Leo, who typically refrains from immediate reactions to world news, expressed unusually forceful concern on Tuesday about the consequences of Israel’s strike in Qatar.
“There’s some really serious news right now: Israel’s attack on some Hamas leaders in Qatar,” the pontiff told journalists outside his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also condemned the bombing, saying “all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.”
The Israeli military (IDF) said it carried out a “precise strike” with Shin Bet that targeted senior Hamas leaders without revealing where.
“For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organisation’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel,” the military said in a statement.
Hamas leaders have held a political office in Doha since 2012, with Qatar contributing millions to support humanitarian initiatives in the Gaza Strip.
This unique relationship has enabled Qatar to act as a bridge between Israel and Hamas, and while Israel holds no formal relations with Qatar, it has previously acknowledged and commended Doha’s role in facilitating dialogue during its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
The attack comes after Trump issued his “last warning” to Hamas to accept his terms to end the war in Gaza. In a post on his Truth Social app on Sunday, he claimed Israel had accepted his new proposal, though he did not specify what the terms were.
He then told reporters that his administration was working on a solution to bring home the Israeli hostages that are being held in Gaza, without giving further details.
“You’ll be hearing about it pretty soon. We’re trying to get it ended, get the hostages back,” he said.
