Qatari authorities said searches continued at the site of an Israeli strike in northern Doha on Tuesday that targeted senior Hamas figures, as teams worked to identify human remains and locate two people still reported missing. The Qatari interior ministry said it had identified the bodies of four people and that specialised teams had found remains in multiple locations; the fate of Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al‑Hayya remained unconfirmed.
Israeli and Palestinian statements offered conflicting accounts of the outcome. Hamas said the attempted assassination of its negotiating delegation had failed, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the action as justified because it targeted what he called the "terrorist masterminds" of the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. Israeli media reported initial optimism about the strike — dubbed "Operation Summit of Fire" by some Israeli outlets — but later accounts reflected growing doubts within military circles about whether the operation had hit its intended targets.
Qatari officials said the air strike struck residential premises where several members of Hamas's political bureau were meeting to discuss a U.S. ceasefire and hostage‑release proposal. Hamas named five members it said were killed: Humam al‑Hayya, the son of Khalil al‑Hayya; Jihad Labad, described as the director of Khalil al‑Hayya's office; and bodyguards Moamen Hassouna, Abdullah Abdul Wahid and Ahmed al‑Mamluk. The Qatari interior ministry said by Wednesday evening that the bodies of Humam al‑Hayya, Labad, Hassouna and Corporal Badr al‑Humaidi, a member of Qatar's Internal Security Force, had been identified and that authorities were still "searching for two individuals reported missing."
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening, Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said there had been "no official declaration" on the fate of Khalil al‑Hayya and described the strike as "state terror." He said Qatar was reassessing its role and would hold detailed discussions with the United States about the way forward. Sheikh Mohammed also said he feared the strike had "just killed any hope" for the roughly 48 hostages who remain in Gaza, 20 of whom he said were believed to be alive.
Netanyahu said Israel targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar because the country had provided them what he called "safe haven," warning nations that shelter terrorists to either expel them or face action. He said the strike could "open the door to an end of the war" and confirmed that Israel had accepted the U.S. ceasefire proposal. Qatar said it was in talks with mediators and partners about a collective response.
The attack has strained relations between Israel and several regional and international partners. U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was "very unhappy about every aspect" of the strike and said he had instructed a U.S. special envoy to inform Qatar after the U.S. military notified him, though he said the warning arrived too late. Sheikh Mohammed said the U.S. had contacted Qatar "10 minutes after the attack."
Several Arab states expressed outrage. The president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, flew to Doha on Wednesday to show solidarity and described the strike as a "criminal attack" that threatened the region's security and prospects for peace, according to the UAE state news agency. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was expected to visit Doha; Saudi authorities called the action "brutal aggression" that required a response. Sheikh Mohammed said plans were under way to convene a summit in Qatar to discuss a regional response.
Qatar has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012 and has served, along with the United States and Egypt, as a mediator in indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel. The country is also home to a major U.S. air base and is considered a key regional U.S. partner.
The strike comes amid the broader war between Israel and Hamas that began after the 7 October assault by Hamas, which Israeli authorities say killed about 1,200 people and led to more than 250 hostages being taken. In the ensuing conflict, Gaza's Hamas‑run health ministry reports at least 64,656 deaths from Israeli attacks. International authorities and human rights organisations have raised concerns about civilian casualties and the prosecution of alleged abuses; last year, judges at the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant in relation to alleged war crimes in Gaza, charges both Israeli officials have rejected.
At the site in Doha, Qatari teams continued recovery and identification work on Wednesday and said human remains had been located in various places. Officials gave no timetable for concluding the search or for confirming the status of senior Hamas figures reported to have been present. The mixed assessments from Hamas, Qatari officials and Israeli sources left the immediate consequences for ceasefire negotiations, hostage prospects and regional diplomacy uncertain as governments and mediators scrambled to assess the strike's impact.