Israel Targets Hamas Leadership in Military Strikes on Qatar, Officials Say
Israel launched an airstrike against Hamas leaders in Qatar on Tuesday, expanding its military actions that have ranged across the Middle East to include the Gulf Arab state where the Palestinian group has long had its political base.
Qatar, which has acted as a mediator alongside Egypt in talks on a ceasefire in the almost two-year-old war in Gaza, condemned the attack as “cowardly” and called it a flagrant violation of international law.
“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.”
“While the State of Qatar strongly condemns this assault, it confirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said on X.
Two Hamas sources told Reuters that Hamas officials in the ceasefire negotiating team survived the attack, which followed an evacuation order in Gaza City where Israel is waging an offensive to try to destroy the group and its military capabilities in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials told Reuters the strike was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Khalil al-Hayya, its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator.
The attack took place shortly after Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a shooting that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Monday.
The assault is likely to deal a serious, if not fatal, blow to efforts to reach a ceasefire, especially since negotiations took place in Qatar.
The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, called the Israeli attack on Doha “blatant and cowardly”.
