DOHA, Qatar — Israeli forces struck what officials and media described as Hamas leadership targets in Qatar on Tuesday, expanding military action beyond Israel and the occupied territories into the Gulf Arab state that has hosted the group’s political base.
An Israeli official told Reuters the attack was carried out against Hamas leaders in Doha. Qatari state and regional media, including Al Jazeera quoting a Hamas source, said the strike targeted Hamas negotiators involved in cease-fire talks with Israel. Several blasts were reported across the Qatari capital by witnesses and monitoring services.
Witnesses in Doha reported plumes of black smoke rising from the area of the Legtifya petrol station, and Reuters reporters observed smoke billowing from the site. The petrol station is adjacent to a small residential compound that Qatari emiri guards have reportedly protected around the clock since the Gaza conflict began, witnesses said.
Israeli media, citing a senior Israeli official, named Khalil al-Hayya — described as an exiled Gaza chief and senior negotiator for Hamas — among those the strike sought to target. Qatar, which has for years mediated between Hamas and Israel and hosted senior Hamas figures, sharply condemned the attack, calling it "cowardly" and "a flagrant violation of international law." The Qatari government has not provided an official casualty toll.
The strike marks a significant escalation in the geography of Israeli operations. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Israeli strikes and operations have at times extended beyond Gaza into Lebanon, Syria and other parts of the region, but direct action in a Gulf capital where Hamas maintains a political presence represents a new front in the conflict.
Details remain limited and independently verifiable information about casualties or damage has not been released. Al Jazeera, citing a Hamas source, said those targeted were Gaza cease-fire negotiators, a claim that underscores potential implications for ongoing mediation efforts in the conflict. Israel has not publicly detailed the precise nature of the operation or the methods used.
Qatar has played a central role in past negotiations and humanitarian arrangements involving Gaza, hosting officials and serving as an intermediary among regional and international actors. The presence of Hamas political leaders in Doha has long been a point of contention with Israel and some other Arab states, but Qatar has defended its role as a facilitator of dialogue and aid to Palestinians.
Regional and international reactions were unfolding late Tuesday as governments and organizations assessed the ramifications of the strike. Observers cautioned that such an attack in a Gulf capital could complicate diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the broader conflict and raise questions about sovereignty and international law.
Officials in Doha and foreign embassies in the city were reported to be monitoring the situation, and security around diplomatic quarters was expected to tighten. The incident is likely to prompt further diplomatic exchanges between Israel, Qatar and third-party mediators, even as on-the-ground conditions and the broader Gaza conflict continue to generate new developments.
Reports from Tuesday were based on statements from Israeli and Qatari sources, regional media outlets and witness accounts in Doha. Additional confirmation and detail from independent monitors and official statements from the governments involved remained pending as of this report.