Sources speaking to Al Arabiya confirmed that Israel had assassinated senior Hamas leaders, including Khalil Al-Hayya, Zaher Jabareen, and Nizar Awadallah.
Meanwhile, a Hamas leader told Al Jazeera that the negotiating delegation had survived the attempt.
For its part, Israeli Channel 14 reported that an unnamed Israeli official said, “We attacked the Hamas leadership in Qatar, including Khalil Al-Hayya and Zaher Jabareen, and we are awaiting the results.” The channel clarified that the attack was carried out by fighter jets.
The Israeli military announced that the Hamas leaders targeted in Qatar were directly responsible for the October 7 attack and for managing the war against Israel. It noted that the military and the Shin Bet (Israel’s internal security service) used the air force to precisely target the Hamas leadership, referring to it as the assassination of the group’s “first-tier leaders.”
The American news site Axios reported on Tuesday evening that an Israeli official said the explosion in Doha was an assassination operation targeting Hamas leaders. The official, as quoted by Axios, confirmed that Israel had targeted the Hamas negotiating delegation in Doha during a meeting to discuss a US proposal.
Witnesses told Reuters that they heard several explosions in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Tuesday afternoon. One witness said they saw smoke rising in the sky over the Katara neighborhood in Doha.
Qatar condemns Israeli strike in Doha
In a related context, the State of Qatar condemned in the strongest terms the “cowardly” Israeli attack that targeted residential headquarters of several members of Hamas’s political bureau in the Qatari capital, Doha. The ministry noted that this criminal act constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed that security agencies, civil defense, and other relevant authorities immediately responded to the incident and took the necessary measures to contain its repercussions and ensure the safety of residents and surrounding areas.
The ministry added that while the State of Qatar strongly condemns this attack, it affirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior or the continued meddling with regional security, nor will it tolerate any action that targets its security and sovereignty. The statement concluded that investigations are underway at the highest level and more details will be announced as they become available.
