Israel said Tuesday it carried out a precision strike against senior Hamas leaders, with Qatari officials condemning what they called an Israeli attack on residential sites in Doha.
The IDF announced a “precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization,” adding it took steps to mitigate civilian harm but did not name the location.
🇮🇱🇶🇦Israël frappe Doha, la capitale du Qatar.
En-dehors de tout cadre légal, ils frappent un État souverain contre lequel ils ne sont pas en guerre avec l’aval de Washington.
Une démonstration de force qui enterre totalement le droit international. pic.twitter.com/NDHW0zOEiT
— Louis Duclos (@ObsDelphi) September 9, 2025
Israeli media and officials described the operation as hitting a meeting of Hamas’s senior external leadership in Doha, with names reported to include Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, Muhammad Darwish, Nizar Awadallah, and Khaled Mashaal.
Outcomes remained contested: Hamas claimed five deaths among aides and relatives, insisting top leaders survived.
Qatar said one member of its security forces was also killed, according to that report.
The U.S. Embassy in Doha issued a brief shelter-in-place order for facilities and American citizens; it was lifted less than two hours later.
Israel’s Claim of Sole Responsibility
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the action “was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” adding, “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
The IDF said those targeted “led” Hamas operations, were “directly responsible” for October 7, and have been “orchestrating” the war against Israel.
Qatar and Hamas’s Response
Minutes later, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said an Israeli strike hit residential headquarters housing members of Hamas’s political bureau in the Qatari capital, calling the incident a “cowardly” violation of international law.
Majed Al-Ansari
A subsequent MFA post rejected claims Doha had advance warning, saying explosions were heard before a U.S. representative notified Qatar.
Senior UAE adviser Anwar Gargash and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman condemned the strike and voiced solidarity with Qatar.
Hamas said targeting its negotiating delegation while discussing Trump’s latest hostage-ceasefire proposal proves Israel “does not want to reach any agreement.”
White House Statement
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters President Donald Trump had foreknowledge and sent Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar in advance; Trump later wrote that Witkoff was “too late.”
Qatar, which hosts U.S. forces and has mediated ceasefire/hostage talks, called the strike a “serious threat” to its security and sovereignty and said a high-level investigation is underway.
Trump, while criticizing an Israeli strike inside a sovereign U.S. ally as unhelpful, reiterated that eliminating Hamas remains a “worthy goal,” and said he assured Qatari leaders it “will not happen again on their soil.”
