In a stunning development, Israel launched a surprise air raid targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital Doha Tuesday, killing six people including the son of the group’s lead negotiator in ceasefire talks.
While Israel has not disclosed the results of the operation, Hamas said its senior officials survived the barrage, while several others were killed.
Here is a breakdown of the details of the strike on the tiny Gulf state that has served as a key mediator in the Gaza war.
– What happened? –
The attack occurred at 3:46 pm (1246 GMT) in a residential neighbourhood in north Doha, which is also home to diplomats, foreign dignitaries, embassies, schools and a daycare centre.
Witnesses reported hearing several explosions and seeing thick smoke rising from the area. The strikes targeted a villa complex housing Hamas members, which was quickly sealed off by police.
Access to the area remained restricted on Wednesday.
Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political bureau since 2012 — with the blessing of the United States that has sought to maintain a communication channel with the group.
Former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was buried in the emirate after his assassination in Tehran in July 2024 in an attack attributed to Israel.
His predecessor Khaled Meshaal, along with Khalil al-Hayya — the movement’s lead negotiator in the Gaza ceasefire talks — are based in the emirate.
– Who were the targets? –
According to sources close to the movement, six Hamas leaders — including Hayya, former leader Meshaal and Zaher Jabarin, who heads the movement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank — were in the building targeted by Israel at the time of the strikes.
AFP has been unable to reach any of them since.
A Hamas official, Souheil al-Hindi, stated Tuesday evening that the group was meeting to discuss President Donald Trump’s latest ceasefire proposal aiming to end the war in Gaza.
The movement’s leaders survived the attack, he added.
However, five other members were killed, along with a member of Qatar’s security forces, he added.
– Who was killed? –
The Qatari interior ministry has confirmed the deaths of three people so far — Qatari officer Badr Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi al-Dosari, who was on the premises, Hamam Khalil al-Hayya, son of Hamas’s chief negotiator, and Mumen Hassoun, described by the movement as a bodyguard.
Hamas announced that three other people were also killed — Jihad Labad, who was director of Khalil al-Hayya’s office, as well as bodyguards Ahmad Mamlouk and Abdallah Abdelwahd.
– How has Qatar reacted? –
In short, Qatar is furious.
Qatar, a key Western ally that hosts a large US military base, said it was caught off guard by the strike and slammed the attack, calling it a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty.
The strike marked the second time the Gulf state had been targeted with a barrage in recent months.
In June, Iran fired a barrage of missiles at the US base following a US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“Qatar’s air defences responded with precision to the waves of Iranian missiles, but the Israeli enemy used weapons that were undetectable by radar,” said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
He went on to emphasise that his country was informed by its US allies only after the attack had begun.
President Trump said he was only informed of the air raid at the last minute.
“I immediately directed special envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did, however, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack,” he said.
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© Agence France-Presse
