Qatar condemns Israel’s ‘cowardly attack’ on Doha after senior Hamas leaders targeted by airstrike
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 without confirming the location of the strike. It marked a significant escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas and drawing 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, condemned what he described as a “cowardly Israeli attack”, which he claimed targeted residential buildings housing senior Hamas political leaders.
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“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.
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.
There are conflicting reports over the fate of the Hamas leaders. The Israeli military declined to respond to requests for comment from The Independent .A source told Reuters they had survived the attack, but several reports suggest Khalil al-Hayya, a senior official in Hamas’s political bureau and chief negotiator, was killed.
The Qatari interior ministry later said a member of its internal security service 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.t
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, had 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.
