Israeli strike targets Hamas leaders in Qatar as they weigh ceasefire proposal

Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’s political leadership in Qatar on Tuesday as the group’s top figures gathered to consider a US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The strike on the territory of a US ally marked a significant escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages.

The attack angered Qatar, an energy-rich Gulf nation hosting thousands of American troops that has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the 23-month-old war and even before.

It condemned what it referred to as a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms” as smoke rose over its capital, Doha.

Other key US allies in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, promised their support to Qatar.

Hamas said in a statement that its top leaders had survived the strike but that five lower-level members were killed, including the son of Khalil al-Hayya — Hamas’s leader for Gaza and its top negotiator — three bodyguards, and the head of Mr al-Hayya’s office.

Hamas, which has sometimes only confirmed the assassination of its leaders months later, offered no immediate proof that Mr al-Hayya and other senior figures had survived.

The US said Israel alerted it before the strike. But American officials sought to distance the US from the attack. The White House said US president Donald Trump believed the Israeli strike was an “unfortunate incident” that did not advance peace in the region.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump had spoken to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “made his thoughts and concerns very clear”.

Ms Leavitt also told reporters that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had passed along a warning to the Qataris.

But Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari derided the warning, saying in a post on X that it came just as “the explosions from the Israeli strikes were being heard”.

Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, lashed out at Mr Netanyahu for “dragging the region to a place where it unfortunately cannot be repaired”.

Asked at a news conference if ceasefire talks would continue, Sheikh Mohammed said that after the strike, “I don’t think there’s anything valid” in the current talks. But he stopped short of saying Qatar would end its mediation efforts, saying “we will do whatever we can to stop this war”.

A member of Qatar’s internal security force was also killed and others were wounded, Qatar’s interior ministry said.

Hamas has survived numerous assassinations of top leaders and still shows cohesion in Gaza, despite having suffered major blows in Israel’s campaign, triggered by the militant group’s October 7 2023 attack on Israel.

As the strike in Qatar threatens to derail long-stalled ceasefire talks, Israel also gears up for a major offensive aimed at taking over Gaza City.

This escalation has been met with heavy international condemnation and opposition within Israel from those who fear it will condemn the remaining hostages.

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, saying “all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it”.

of buildings that housed Hamas’s political wing.

An Egyptian official said the strike came when a meeting by Hamas officials over the talks had been scheduled for the site.

Israel has long threatened to strike Hamas leaders wherever they are, and while it has often welcomed Qatar’s role as a mediator, alongside Egypt, it has also accused the Gulf nation of not putting enough pressure on the group.

In contrast to previous Israeli operations against senior militants abroad, Mr Netanyahu was quick to publicly claim the strike, saying: “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it and Israel takes full responsibility.”

He said the decision was taken on Monday after a shooting attack in Jerusalem that killed six people and an attack on Israeli forces in Gaza that killed four soldiers.