Doha: Israel’s military said it conducted air strikes targeting senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital on Tuesday.
Qatar, which has been a key mediator in efforts to broker a truce in Gaza, said Israeli strikes targeted the homes of several members of Hamas’s political bureau residing in the Gulf country, where the militant group’s senior leadership is based.
A Hamas official in Gaza told AFP the group’s negotiators had been “targeted” in Doha, though it was not immediately clear whether the attack had caused any casualties.
Qatar’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the attack. Its spokesperson, Dr Majed Al Ansari, said the strike hit a residential property “where a number of members of Hamas’ political bureau reside in the Qatari capital, Doha.”
Dr Ansari described the strike as a “flagrant violation of international law” and a “serious threat” to people in Qatar. “The State of Qatar strongly condemns this attack, and affirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour and the continuous tampering with the security of the region and any action aimed at its security and sovereignty,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Tuesday’s strikes — Israel’s first attack on the Western-backed Gulf state — come less than two weeks after Israel’s armed forces chief vowed to target the group’s leaders based abroad.
Along with the United States and Egypt, Qatar has led multiple attempts to end the Israel-Hamas war, which was sparked by the Palestinian militants’ unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack.
Despite sealing two temporary truces, the successive rounds of talks have failed to bring a lasting end to the war.
Washington urged nationals in Doha to shelter in place.
“US citizens are advised to shelter-in-place and monitor @USEmbassyDoha social media for updates,” the US embassy posted.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attack, affirming its full solidarity with and support for Qatar.
The Kingdom called on the international community to condemn this “heinous aggression and put an end to Israeli violations that undermine the security and stability of the region.”
UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned Israel’s “flagrant violation” of Qatari sovereignty
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates also condemned the attack, with the Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi calling it “an extension of the brutal Israeli aggression that threatens the security and stability of the region.”
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed wrote on X his country stood “in full solidarity with dear Qatar.”
Iran condemned the attack as a “gross violation of all international rules and regulations, a violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and an attack on Palestinian negotiators.”
The attack came as Israel stepped up a deadly assault on Gaza City, the Palestinian territory’s largest urban center.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video statement addressing residents of the city: “I say to the residents: you have been warned, leave now!
“All of this is just a prelude, just the opening, to the main intensified operation — the ground maneuver of our forces, who are now organizing and assembling to enter Gaza City,” he said.
