Israel's military said it conducted air strikes targeting senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital on Tuesday, September 9, as Qatar condemned an attack on buildings housing members of the Palestinian militant movement. 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.
"For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organisation's operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 [2023] massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel," the Israeli military said in a statement. An Israeli military official spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP), confirming that the military had carried out the strikes. "These were air strikes," he said, under cover of anonymity.
Qatar condemned the attack, saying it had targeted residential buildings housing Hamas political bureau members. "The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the political bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha," foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said in a post on X.
Along with the United States and Egypt, Qatar has led multiple rounds of efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war, which was sparked by the Palestinian militant groups' unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack. The successive rounds of talks led to two temporary truces, though they have failed to bring a lasting end to the war.
In a statement issued after the strikes, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel acted in an "independent" manner. "Today's action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation," Netanyahu's office said, adding that: "Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility."
Tuesday's strikes come less than two weeks after Israel's armed forces chief vowed to target the group's leaders based abroad. "Most of Hamas's leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said, on August 31.
A Hamas official in Gaza, meanwhile, told AFP that Israel had targeted the Palestinian group's negotiators in the strikes, though it was not immediately clear whether the attack had caused any casualties. The delegation of Hamas representatives "was targeted during its meeting in Doha, while discussing [US] President [Donald] Trump's proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip," the official said, on condition of anonymity.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel's strikes on Qatar, calling them a "flagrant violation" of Doha's sovereignty. "We are just learning about the Israeli attacks in Qatar, a country that has been playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and release of all hostages. I condemn this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar," Guterres told a media briefing.
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates also condemned the attack, with 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, that his country stood "in full solidarity with dear Qatar."
Iran, a key backer of Hamas, 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."
Washington urged its 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 on X.
The militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza, condemned Israel's strike on its ally's leaders in Doha. Israel's "targeting of a meeting of leaders of (...) Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha, is a blatant criminal act that violates all human standards and values, as well as the most basic international laws and norms," the organization said in a statement.