Hamas announced that five of its members were killed in an Israeli air strike in Doha but claimed an attempt to assassinate its negotiating team had failed. The group said its delegation was meeting at a residential compound to review a new US ceasefire proposal for Gaza when the site was struck.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the attack, saying it targeted senior Hamas figures responsible for the 7 October 2023 assault on Israel. The Israel Defence Forces and Shin Bet confirmed carrying out a “precise strike” on Hamas leadership.
Qatar condemned the attack as “cowardly” and a violation of international law. Its interior ministry reported one member of the Internal Security Force dead and others injured, without acknowledging Hamas casualties. Witnesses described up to eight explosions in Doha’s Katara district, with smoke rising over residential buildings housing Hamas officials.
The White House called the incident “unfortunate,” though President Donald Trump maintained that eliminating Hamas remained a “worthy goal.” Qatar, a US ally hosting a significant American air base and Hamas’s political bureau since 2012, has often mediated in negotiations between the group and Israel. Israeli officials said preparations for the strike followed deadly Palestinian attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza.
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