Today’s action against top Hamas terror leaders was a completely independent Israeli operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said after the attack on Hamas leaders in Doha.
“Israel launched the attacks, Israel carried them out and Israel takes full responsibility,” it said in a statement.
Israeli media reported that warplanes fired 12 missiles at the locations where Hamas leaders were in Doha.
Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike on senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Tuesday, dealing a fresh blow to efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Explosions were heard in Doha, and footage showed clouds of smoke rising into the sky.
The Israeli military said it carried out a “precision strike” targeting senior Hamas leaders, without specifying the location.
A senior Israeli official told The Wall that the attack was aimed at senior Hamas leaders in Doha.
A senior Hamas leader told Doha-based Al Jazeera that the attack took place as the group’s negotiators were discussing US President Donald Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange.
Another senior Hamas leader confirmed to Al Jazeera that the Hamas leadership delegation had survived the attack in Doha.
Qatar’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the Israeli attack, calling it a clear violation of international law.
“This criminal attack constitutes a clear violation of all international laws and norms and poses a serious threat to the security of Qatar and the people of Qatar,” it said in a statement.
The ministry confirmed that security forces, civil defense and relevant authorities had dealt with the incident and “took the necessary measures to contain its consequences and ensure the safety of the people and the surrounding areas.”
Qatar confirmed that it would not tolerate “this reckless Israeli behavior and the continued violation of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty.”
Qatar, along with Egypt and the US, is mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on a potential prisoner swap and ceasefire agreement.
Israel has killed more than 64,600 Palestinians in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and pushed the territory’s population into starvation.
In November last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide charge at the International Court of Justice over the war in the enclave.
