The Iran-aligned Houthi movement fired a missile at Israel on Tuesday in what it described as retaliation for an Israeli strike in Doha that damaged a building housing members of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group said. Israel said its defence systems were operating to intercept the incoming projectile, which regional and Israeli officials said was believed to have been launched from Yemen.
The strikes in Doha on Tuesday targeted a complex north of central Doha where, according to Hamas and multiple media reports, the group's delegation was meeting to discuss ceasefire proposals. Hamas said five of its members were killed, including the son of senior leader Khalil al-Hayya, and that a Qatari security officer also died. Israeli officials described the operation as an attack on senior Hamas leaders outside Gaza and said it was an independent Israeli action they named "Summit of Fire."
Reports of casualties and the fate of specific Hamas figures were contradictory in the immediate aftermath. Israeli media and some regional channels reported that several senior Hamas officials were killed, but Hamas sources and other outlets said many of the delegation survived. Israeli military spokespeople referred to airstrikes, while Israel's prime minister's office said Israel initiated and took responsibility for the operation. A White House official told the BBC the U.S. was notified before the strike. The U.S. embassy in Qatar issued a shelter-in-place order for its facilities.
Hours after the Doha strike, the Houthi movement in Yemen said it had launched a missile at Israel in response. The Israeli military reported its air-defence systems were "operating to intercept" the strike and that it believed the missile had been launched from Yemen. There were no immediate verified reports of damage or casualties in Israel from that launch.
The incident has prompted swift international condemnation and warnings about regional escalation. Qatar called the attacks a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described strikes on Qatari territory as a violation of sovereignty and warned that actions undermining negotiations risked collapsing efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages. France said the strikes were unacceptable and expressed solidarity with Qatar. The United Kingdom's Labour leader, Keir Starmer, condemned the strikes and urged an immediate ceasefire and stepped-up aid into Gaza.
Iran denounced the attack on Doha as a gross violation of international rules. Saudi Arabia expressed full solidarity with Qatar and warned of the grave consequences of continued strikes. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the action constituted a blatant violation of international law and threatened regional security and stability.
In Washington, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump was briefed on the strikes and that he felt "very badly" about the location of the attack. U.S. officials have acknowledged they were notified in advance of Israeli action in Doha; the White House said the president was working toward negotiating a ceasefire. Israeli officials, while asserting they carried out the operation, faced media reports saying Mr. Trump gave his blessing to the strikes, and the Israeli prime minister later tied the actions to efforts against militants responsible for attacks on Israeli civilians.
Israeli leaders framed the operation within a broader campaign against Hamas leadership they say have directed or supported attacks on Israel since the October 2023 assault that triggered the Gaza war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in remarks after the strikes, said the days were over when "terror leaders can enjoy immunity of any kind," and linked the action to efforts to free Israeli hostages. Israeli officials also pointed to a recent deadly shooting in East Jerusalem as part of the security rationale.
The Doha strike risks further complicating fragile, internationally mediated ceasefire negotiations that have been intermittently brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States during nearly two years of conflict in Gaza. Hamas had said negotiators were in Doha to discuss proposals from the United States aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage releases.
The strikes took place as Israel intensified operations in Gaza, including stepped-up activity around Gaza City. Israeli military and political statements in recent days signalled preparation for expanded ground operations, and senior Israeli officers had warned they would pursue Hamas leaders abroad.
International bodies urged restraint and protection of civilians. The United Nations called for all parties to work toward a permanent ceasefire rather than actions that could derail diplomacy. Qatar said it would not tolerate attacks on its sovereignty and warned against any measures that threaten regional security. Observers cautioned that any military action on the territory of a state hosting mediators could undermine channels for negotiation and heighten the risk of a wider regional confrontation.
At the time of publication, assessments of the full human toll in Doha remained incomplete and conflicting. Verification by independent monitors on the identities of those killed or wounded, the exact mode of the Israeli strike, and the outcome of the Houthi-launched missile was ongoing as governments and international organizations called for calm and the preservation of diplomatic avenues to halt fighting in Gaza.