Israel strikes in Qatar: What we know so far as Israel carries out attack on senior Hamas leaders

The strike was carried out on Tuesday and appeared to be the first known Israeli military strike against the militant group in the Gulf nation.

A senior Israeli official told CNN among those targeted was Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya.

This marked the second time the nation has been directly attacked since Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

It was not immediately clear how the attack was carried out, but an Israeli military spokesman referred to Israel’s air force carrying out the strike.

Qatar condemned what it referred to as a “cowardly Israeli attack” on Hamas’ political headquarters in Doha.

Hamas statement claims six dead after Israeli strike

A statement from Hamas seen by the BBC says their negotiating team in Doha have survived Israel's strike on the Qatari capital.

In a statement, it says: "We confirm the enemy's failure to assassinate our brothers in the negotiating delegation."

It adds the strike "confirms beyond doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not want to reach any agreement" for peace.

The statement added that six others were killed in the strike.

Netanyahu tells media he ‘authorised a surgical, precision strike on Hamas’

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the media that Hamas “proudly took credit” for killing four Israeli soldiers in Gaza in yesterday, as well as six people who were killed at a bus stop in Jerusalem.

"At noon I convened the heads of Israeli security organisations and authorised a surgical, precision strike on the terrorist chiefs of Hamas," he says.

The Israeli PM adds that on 7 October 2023, Hamas "perpetrated the worst attack on Jewish people since the holocaust".

He said: "At the start of war, Israel said it would reach those who perpetrated that horror. Today, Israel and I kept that promise."

Netanyahu has added that Gaza war can be "ended immediately" if US President Donald Trump's proposal is accepted.

‘Violation of all international laws and norms’

Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari called it a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms”.

Meanwhile, senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash said the United Arab Emirates “stands wholeheartedly with our sisterly state of Qatar” and condemns “the treacherous Israeli attack that targeted it.”

“The security of the Arab Gulf states is indivisible,” Gargash said.

He stressed that his country is in “full solidarity with [Qatar] in confronting this aggression”.

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In a post on X, Israel's President Isaac Herzog says it was "important and correct" to target Hamas's leadership, and then condemns Khalil al-Hayya - Hamas's chief negotiator and exiled Gaza leader - without confirming he was a direct target of the attack.

Herzog says that al-Hayya has "the blood of thousands on his hands, one of the architects of the October 7th massacre, as are many of his colleagues".

A White House official has confirmed to the BBC that the Trump administration was "notified" about the Israeli strike on Doha before it took place.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said that he was giving his “last warning” to Hamas regarding a possible ceasefire, as Arab officials described a new US proposal.

A senior Hamas official called it a “humiliating surrender document”, but the militant group said that it would discuss the proposal and respond within days.

The proposal, presented by Mr Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, calls for a negotiated end of the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza once the hostages are released and a ceasefire is established, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials familiar with the talks, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door discussions.