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| Israeli strike hits Hamas officials in Doha quarter. |
The Israel Defense Forces said they conducted what they called a "precise strike" targeting the senior leadership of Hamas. Israeli officials said those targeted were directly responsible for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that started the Gaza war .
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| Smoke rises after several blasts were heard in Doha, Qatar. Pic: Reuters © Reuters |
Qatar's foreign ministry strongly condemned the attack. Officials called it a "blatant violation" of international laws. They said Israel's actions posed a serious threat to people living in Qatar .
The Strike and Immediate Aftermath
Multiple explosions were heard in Doha on Tuesday afternoon. Reuters witnesses reported seeing plumes of black smoke rising from the city's West Bay Lagoon district. The area hit was near a petrol station on Wadi Rawdan Street .
BBC Verify geolocated the explosion site. They confirmed damage to a section of a complex next to a Woqod petrol station. The area is described as a quiet residential neighborhood with many foreign embassies .
Qatar's interior ministry said the situation was now "safe." They confirmed specialized teams were working at the scene. The ministry said the explosions targeted "one of the residential headquarters of Hamas" .
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| Smoke rises after several blasts in Doha. Pic: Reuters © Reuters |
The U.S. embassy in Qatar issued a shelter-in-place order for its facilities. They advised American citizens to shelter where they were. The embassy told people to monitor its social media for updates .
Who Was Targeted?
Israeli officials told Reuters the strike aimed at top Hamas leaders. These included Khalil al-Hayya, the group's exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator. An Israeli official told CNN that al-Hayya was among those targeted .
A Hamas official told the BBC that the group's negotiating team was targeted during a meeting. The attack came as the negotiators were discussing the latest ceasefire proposal put forth by the United States .
Two Hamas sources told Reuters that Hamas officials in the ceasefire negotiating team survived the attack. The exact status of those targeted remains unclear .
Israeli Government Response
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation was "a wholly independent Israeli operation." They stated: "Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility" .
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir thanked Netanyahu for the decision to launch the strike. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich praised the attack. He said it showed that "terrorists do not and will not have immunity" anywhere in the world .
The IDF said the operation was called "Summit of Fire." They stated that before the strike, measures were taken to minimize harm to civilians. This included using precise weapons and additional intelligence .
International Reaction
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari called the attack "cowardly." He said it targeted residential buildings housing Hamas political bureau members. Al-Ansari said Qatar "will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior" .
Iran condemned the strike through Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei. He called the action a "blatant violation of international law." He said it was an infringement on Qatar's national sovereignty .
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned Israel's strikes. He called them a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar" .
All key Gulf states and several other Arab nations issued strong statements condemning the attack .
U.S. Awareness and Involvement
A White House official confirmed to the BBC that the Trump administration was "notified" about the Israeli strike before it took place. The attack immediately raised questions about the level of U.S. awareness and involvement .
An Israeli source who spoke to CNN said the United States was informed ahead of the strike. The White House has not yet issued a statement on the attack .
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| Pic: Reuters © Reuters |
Qatar is one of the closest U.S. allies in the Middle East. It is home to the Al Udeid Air Base, the biggest American military facility in the region. The country was designated a Major Non-NATO Ally in 2022 .
Context of Ceasefire Talks
The strike comes at a sensitive time in ceasefire negotiations. On Sunday, Hamas said it welcomed "some ideas" from the U.S. about how to reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement. The group said it was discussing how to turn them into a comprehensive agreement .
Qatar has acted as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. It has hosted negotiations since October 2023. The Hamas negotiating team is based in Doha .
The attack happened less than two weeks after Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir pledged to target Hamas leaders wherever they were. On August 31, he said: "Most of Hamas's leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well" .
Historical Precedents
This is not the first time Israel has targeted Hamas leaders in other countries. In 2010, undercover agents from Israel's Mossad spy agency carried out an assassination in the UAE. They killed Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh, a founding member of Hamas's military wing .
Before that, there was a bungled Mossad assassination attempt of another Hamas leader, Khaled Al-Meshal, in Jordan in 1997 .
More recently, Israel has assassinated several top Hamas leaders. These included top political leader Yahya Sinwar, military commander Mohammed Deif, and political chief Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh was killed in Iran's capital, Tehran .
Impact on Regional Security
The attack sets a worrying precedent for future peace talks. Frank Gardner, BBC Security correspondent, wrote that many feared this would happen. Israel has been determined to continue a campaign of "score settling" for the October 7 attack .
Sultan Barakat, a professor at Doha's Hamad Bin Khalifa University, said the strikes would further entrench Israel's reputation as an international pariah state. He said Israel was "acting more as an aircraft carrier" than a proper state .
Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, called the attack "disgusting, mafia-type action." He said it targeted diplomatic efforts and showed gangster behavior .
The strike is likely to deal a serious blow to efforts to reach a ceasefire. This is especially true since it took place in Qatar, which has hosted several rounds of talks .
What Happens Next?
The situation remains fluid. Investigations are underway at the highest level in Qatar. Further details are expected to be announced as they become available .
The attack raises serious questions about the future of US-Qatar relations. It also questions the safety of diplomatic efforts in the region. Qatar has been known as a safe and secure country that hosts sensitive negotiations .
The strike comes as Israel's head of state, Isaac Herzog, is expected in the UK later this week. He is scheduled to meet with UK ministers .
As the situation develops, the world watches to see how this unprecedented attack will affect the already fragile ceasefire talks and regional stability.