The Israeli military has said it has targeted the leadership of Hamas with strikes on Qatar’s capital, Doha.
Qatar has condemned the “cowardly Israeli attack” on the Palestinian militant group’s political headquarters in the city, calling it a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms”.
Several explosions were heard in the city, with smoke seen rising over the Katara district.
A senior official from the region has said five Hamas officials – named as Khalil al Hayya, Khaled Mashaal, Muhammad Darwish, Razi Hamad and Izzat al-Rishq – were in a meeting that was targeted in the Israeli strikes.
Saudi television network Al-Arabiya has reported that Mr al Hayya, who previously served as the deputy chairman of Hamas’s political bureau, was killed.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he ordered his security forces to carry out the strikes on Doha after two gunmen boarded a bus in Jerusalem on Monday and killed six people. Hamas claimed responsibility.
Mr Netanyahu’s office earlier said in a statement that the strikes against the “top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation”.
It continued: “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
It comes after several reports in Israeli media suggested the US played a part in the operation.
In a statement after the attack, which didn’t specifically name Qatar, Israel’s military said Hamas’ leaders were “directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel”.
The Israeli military said it used “precise munitions and additional intelligence” in the strike, without elaborating.
Hamas’ exiled leadership has long been based in Qatar, which has served as a mediator in talks between Hamas and Israel for several years, even before the latest war in the Gaza Strip.
An attack on its top leadership could further complicate negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages taken during Hamas’ incursion on 7 October 2023.
Israeli officials have sent mixed messages throughout the war, relying on Qatari mediation while also questioning its willingness to put pressure on Hamas.
The US Embassy in Qatar said that it had “instituted a shelter-in-place order” following today’s strikes.
“US citizens are advised to shelter-in-place,” it added.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said: “The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha.
“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.
“The ministry affirms that the security forces, civil defence, and relevant authorities immediately began addressing the incident and taking necessary measures to contain its repercussions and ensure the safety of the residents and surrounding areas.”
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Smoke rises after several blasts were heard in Doha, Qatar. Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
He added that Qatar will not “tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour” and the “ongoing disruption of regional security”.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described Israel’s attack on Doha as a “criminal act and a flagrant violation of international law”.
In a phone call with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, he also offered Saudi Arabia’s “full solidarity” with Qatar.
It came as Turkey’s foreign ministry described the strikes as “evidence of Israel’s expansionist policies and its adoption of terrorism as state strategy”.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has also condemned the attack, saying “all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it”.
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Qatar Airways continued landing in Doha amid the strike, even as at least one Qatari air force aircraft took off on patrol over the country.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said that he was giving his “last warning” to Hamas regarding a possible ceasefire, as Arab officials described a new US proposal.
A senior Hamas official called it a “humiliating surrender document,” but the militant group said that it would discuss the proposal and respond within days.
The proposal, presented by Mr Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, calls for a negotiated end of the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza once the hostages are released and a ceasefire is established, Egyptian and Hamas officials familiar with the talks told the Associated Press.
This story originally appeared on Skynews
