Unprecedented attack on Qatar kills six, including Khalil al-Hayya’s son, as Israel faces global outrage for targeting negotiators during ceasefire talks.
Israel launched an unprecedented air strike on Doha on Tuesday, targeting senior Hamas officials in the Qatari capital during delicate ceasefire negotiations. Hamas confirmed its top leadership survived the attack, but said six people were killed, including the son of senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, one of his aides, and a Qatari officer.
The strike, which sent plumes of smoke over Doha, is the first known Israeli attack inside Qatar — a country central to international mediation in the Gaza war. It has triggered widespread condemnation as a flagrant violation of sovereignty and a direct assault on fragile peace efforts.
Hamas: Israel seeks to sabotage peace
Hamas accused Israel of deliberately trying to derail negotiations over a ceasefire and prisoner exchange. “This once again reveals the criminal nature of the occupation and its desire to undermine any chances of reaching an agreement,” the group said in a statement cited by Al Jazeera.
Hamas political bureau member Suhail al-Hindi said the strike was an assassination attempt on the movement’s top negotiators. “The attack in Doha targeted Hamas and Qatar primarily, but it is an aggression on all Arabs, Muslims, and free people across the world,” he told Al Jazeera.
He confirmed that al-Hayya’s son Humam and one of his top aides were martyred while leaders survived.
Conflicting accounts from Washington and Doha
The White House admitted it was informed by Israel before the strike, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying President Donald Trump “felt very badly” about the attack inside a close US ally. She claimed Trump ordered envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar in advance.
But Doha rejected this version. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said: “Statements circulating about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are false. The call from an American official came as explosions sounded from the Israeli attack in Doha.”
The contradictory claims have raised questions about Washington’s complicity and Israel’s defiance of its main backer.
Qatar condemns ‘cowardly’ aggression
Qatar strongly denounced the attack as a “criminal and cowardly act,” saying it violated international law and endangered civilians.
“This criminal attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents,” the foreign ministry said.
Authorities confirmed the strike hit residential buildings housing Hamas political bureau members, but stressed “the situation is safe” and investigations were underway.
Israel: ‘We take full responsibility’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the attack was a “wholly independent Israeli operation.” “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility,” the statement read.
Less than two weeks earlier, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir had vowed to hunt Hamas leaders abroad. “Most of Hamas’s leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well,” he declared.
Mediation efforts at risk
Qatar, alongside Egypt and the US, has spearheaded multiple rounds of talks to end Israel’s war on Gaza, securing only brief truces. The Doha strike has cast doubt on whether negotiations can continue.
Hamas officials said they had been meeting in Doha to discuss a US ceasefire proposal when the attack struck.
Global outrage
The international response was swift and scathing:
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the raids a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty.
- Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the “heinous bombing” and pledged solidarity with Qatar and Palestine.
- Iran denounced a “gross violation of all international rules and Qatar’s sovereignty.”
- Turkey said the strike proved Israel was not interested in peace but instead pursued “expansionist policies and state terrorism.”
- France’s President Emmanuel Macron declared the strikes “unacceptable regardless of motive.”
- Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, and the Maldives issued similar condemnations, describing the attack as reckless and destabilising.
- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the escalation “threatens regional security and stability.”
Risk of escalation
Analysts warn the attack represents a dangerous escalation of Israel’s war, extending it into the heart of the Gulf. Striking Hamas negotiators while they engaged in talks with Qatari officials not only undermines peace efforts but also risks dragging new states into confrontation.
For Palestinians, the loss of al-Hayya’s son symbolises the heavy personal cost borne by families in the struggle against occupation. For Qatar, the attack is an unprecedented violation of its sovereignty and security.
With Gaza under intensified bombardment and Israel preparing a ground assault on Gaza City, the Doha strike has further narrowed the prospects of a negotiated ceasefire. Instead, it has widened the battlefield — and reinforced global outrage at Israel’s actions.
