Hamas said six of its members were killed in an Israeli airstrike on residential buildings in Doha on Tuesday, but claimed the attempt to assassinate its negotiating team had failed. The group said the delegation had gathered to discuss the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal for the Gaza war when explosions ripped through a compound in the Qatari capital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the strike as “fully justified,” arguing it targeted Hamas leaders responsible for the October 7, 2023, assault on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Israeli officials later confirmed that 15 fighter jets carried out the operation, firing 10 munitions within seconds against what they said was a single target.
Qatar’s government accused Israel of a “cowardly” attack and a “flagrant violation of international law.” Authorities in Doha said a member of the country’s Internal Security Force was killed, while others were injured. The Gulf state, which hosts a major U.S. air base and has mediated ceasefire talks since 2012, denounced the strike as a direct assault on its sovereignty.
The White House called the incident “unfortunate.” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had been notified by the U.S. military ahead of the strike and directed envoy Steve Witkoff to alert Qatari leaders. “Bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign ally working to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” she said, though she added that eliminating Hamas remained “a worthy goal.”
Hamas named five of the dead, including Humam al-Hayya, the son of senior leader Khalil al-Hayya, and Jihad Labad, Hayya’s office director. In a statement, the group said the strike proved Netanyahu’s government was not serious about peace and accused Washington of sharing responsibility for the attack.
World leaders swiftly condemned the Israeli strike. UN Secretary General António Guterres said the attack “posed a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris” and undermined efforts for a ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron called it “unacceptable,” while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned of escalating regional conflict. Saudi Arabia denounced what it called “brutal Israeli aggression.”
Israeli media reported that the intended targets included Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, Hamas’s exiled West Bank leader. Hamas said both men survived.
For families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, the attack deepened fears that negotiations were collapsing. “It could be that in these very moments the prime minister has actually assassinated my Matan,” wrote Einav Zangauker, whose son is among those captive, on X. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid demanded assurances that the strike did not endanger hostages’ lives.
Netanyahu defended the operation during remarks at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, claiming it could “open the door to an end of the war.” He urged residents of Gaza to “make peace with us,” insisting that Israel had accepted the U.S.-backed plan for a 60-day truce tied to hostage releases.
Israel has killed several senior Hamas leaders in the past two years, including Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July 2024 and Yahya Sinwar in Gaza later that year. The conflict has claimed at least 64,605 Palestinian lives since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
The Doha strike marks the first Israeli attack on Qatari soil since the war began, threatening to destabilize one of Washington’s closest Gulf allies and raising new doubts about prospects for a ceasefire.