Smoke rises from behind residential areas after explosions in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday. Israel said it launched a strike targeting senior Hamas leaders.
Ali Altunkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images
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Ali Altunkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images
TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike targeting senior Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital on Tuesday.
A Hamas official said no leaders were killed. But speaking to NPR on condition of anonymity, in order to comment on the attack before Hamas’ official confirmation, the Hamas official confirmed there were five fatalities, including the son of a Hamas negotiator, an office manager and several other employees. The family of negotiator Khalil al-Hayya reacted on Facebook to news that his son was dead.
This is the first time Israel has carried out a strike in Doha. It marks an escalation in Israel’s war against Hamas, inside a city that has played host to mediation efforts to end the conflict.
Israel’s military said in a statement the Hamas leaders it was targeting were directly responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and have since been “orchestrating and managing” the war against Israel.
This frame grab taken from an AFPTV footage shows a man looking at smoke billowing after explosions in Doha on Tuesday.
Jacqueline Penney/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images
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Jacqueline Penney/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images
Qatar’s government denounced the strike. “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,” the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “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 Qatari statement added that the country “will not tolerate this reckless and irresponsible Israeli behavior, which continuously undermines the region’s security.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he condemns “this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.” Speaking during a news conference about a report on global military spending, he noted Qatar “has been playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and the release of all hostages,” and said “all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.”
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Jordan also condemned the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz later said in a joint statement they had instructed officials to prepare for a possible strike on Hamas leaders following a shooting by two Palestinian gunmen that killed six Israelis at a bus stop in Jerusalem on Monday. Hamas on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the shooting in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu and Katz said they approved the Doha strike midday Tuesday “in light of an operational opportunity.”
The strike came just 2 1/2 months after Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, used by the U.S. military’s Central Command, was attacked by Iran in retaliation for the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites.
