- Explosions were heard in Doha as Israel announced an airstrike targeting Hamas leaders
- The Israeli military said the strike targeted senior Hamas leadership linked to the October 7 massacre
- Hamas leadership is largely based abroad, with Qatar hosting exiled leaders and mediating talks
Several explosions have been heard in Qatar's capital Doha, simultaneously, Israel's military has announced that it carried out an airstrike targeting Hamas leaders on Tuesday, although it did not give details about the place.
IDF's Response
"The IDF (Israeli military) and ISA (security agency) conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation," the military said.
"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," it added.
An Israeli military official told AFP that the military had carried out air strikes on Doha Tuesday in an operation targeting senior leaders of Palestinian group Hamas. "The name of the operation in Doha is Summit of Fire. These were air strikes," a military official said.
This comes in after the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces Eyal Zamir vowed to targed Hamas' leaders based abroad.
"Most of Hamas's leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well," Zamir said on August 31.
Why Is Qatar Significant
Qatar has been the home of exiled leaders of Hamas, and has also served as the mediator in talks between the Palestinian group and Israel for years, much before the latest attack on Gaza took place.
The strike could complicate the ongoing negotiations regarding ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages taken in after the attack by Hamas in October 7, 2023.
Qatar's Reaction
Qatar has condemned the attack, terming it as "cowardly Israeli attack" on the political headquarters of Hamas. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari called it a "flagrant violation of all international laws and norms."
Ansari wrote on X, "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.
He dubbed the attack a "criminal assault" and a "blatant violation" of international laws and norms. He wrote that the attack poses a "serious threat" to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar.
"The Ministry affirms that the security forces, civil defense, and relevant authorities immediately began addressing the incident and taking necessary measures to contain its repercussions and ensure the safety of the residents and surrounding areas. While the State of Qatar strongly condemns this assault, it confirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty. Investigations are underway at the highest level, and further details will be announced as soon as they are available", he added.
Israel's Reaction
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich praised the attack by Israeli military saying that terrorists will never have immunity from Israel anywhere in the world, and praised IDF's decision and execution.
"Terrorists have no immunity and will never have immunity from Israel's long arm anywhere in the world," Smotrich wrote on X, hailing a "right decision and a perfect execution by the IDF (Israeli military) and the Shin Bet (security agency)".
A White House official has confirmed that Israel informed the US about the attack in advance, according to AFP.
