Israel says targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it carried out a “precise strike” against the leadership of the Palestinian Hamas group, with explosions reported and smoke rising above the Qatari capital Doha, where the group’s leadership resides. 

“The IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] and Shin Bet, through the Air Force, conducted a precise strike targeting the top leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the IDF said in a statement.

It said that the targeted leaders were “directly responsible” for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which led to Israel’s brutal military offensive on the Gaza Strip. 

Doha slammed the “cowardly attack,” saying it “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.”

“While the state of Qatar strongly condemns this assault, it confirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said in a statement.

Qatar has played a key role in ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the targeting of Hamas leaders was an “independent Israeli operation.”

“Today's action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” his office said in a statement. “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.” 

A Hamas official in Gaza told AFP that the Israeli strike targeted Hamas negotiators in Gaza during a meeting to discuss US President Donald Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire. 

The US Embassy in Qatar called on citizens to shelter in place. 

“We have seen reports of missile strikes occurring in Doha. The U.S. Embassy has institutes a shelter-in-place order for their facilities. US citizens are advised to shelter-in-place,” the embassy said on X. 

Hamas leaders have been headquartered in Doha for years. 

Updated at 5:34 pm