Israel on Tuesday struck Qatar’s capital Doha in missile attacks that it said were targeted at senior leaders of Hamas, including negotiators from the Palestinian group who have been engaged in talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza.
Qatar condemned the attack as a violation of international law and of its sovereignty, with multiple countries and blocs also lashing out at Israel over the missile strikes.
The attack came at a time when Qatar, one of the lead mediators between Israel and the United States on the one hand and Hamas on the other, had been trying to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed more than 64,600 people since October 2023, when they launched a war on the Palestinian enclave.
Here is what we know so far about what happened in Israel’s strikes on Tuesday:
What happened in Qatar?
On Tuesday, around 3pm local time [12:00 GMT], multiple explosions were heard in the capital Doha, and dark plumes of smoke rose above the skyline.
People reported hearing the explosions in neighbourhoods across Doha. They were also audible at Al Jazeera’s office in the city.
Soon after 4pm local time [13:00 GMT], Israel’s military confirmed that it had fired missiles into Doha, targeting a compound believed to be hosting Hamas political leaders. Shortly after, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the attack.
This is the first time ever that Israel has attacked Qatar, a country where its own negotiators have visited repeatedly over the past two years for ceasefire talks mediated by the government in Doha.
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Where in Qatar did the attack take place?
The attack took place in the West Bay Lagoon area in Doha, home to many foreign embassies, schools, supermarkets and residential compounds. The region is home to Qataris as well as residents from around the world.
What has Hamas said?
A Hamas official told Al Jazeera Arabic that the attack targeted Hamas ceasefire negotiators. The attack came as negotiators from Hamas were meeting to consider the latest ceasefire proposal put forth by the US.
But Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, also confirmed that the group’s leadership, which was targeted in Doha, had survived the attack.
Among those believed to have been targeted were senior leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Meshal.
But the attack killed al-Hayya’s son, Humam, and one of his top aides, al-Hindi told Al Jazeera. Contact had also been lost with three other bodyguards, he added.
He stressed that the loss of any lives was tragic.
“The blood of the leadership of the movement is like the blood of any Palestinian child,” al-Hindi said.
In addition to al-Hayya’s son Humam and an aide, Qatar confirmed late in the evening that at least one Qatari security official had died in the attack. Other members of Qatar’s security forces were wounded, the country’s Interior Ministry said.
“Specialised crews are continuing to inspect and secure the targeted area with the explosives division of the internal security forces,” the ministry said in a statement.
Hamas said six people had been killed in all.
What has Israel said?
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released an X post on Tuesday saying Israel acted alone in the attack.
“Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” the post read.
“Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
Netanyahu and Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement justifying the attack and tying it to the shooting in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday in which six Israelis were killed.
“The prime minister and defense minister believed the operation was completely justified in light of the fact that this Hamas leadership initiated and organized the October 7 massacre, and has not ceased to launch murderous actions against the State of Israel and its citizens since then,” the statement said.
The strikes on Doha violate the United Nations Charter — breaching Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid lauded the attack in a social media post, saying: “Congratulating the Air Force, [Israeli army], Shin Bet and all security forces on an exceptional operation to thwart our enemies.”
Mustafa Barghouti, who is the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, said that the Israeli attack on Doha represents a “turning point that will have dangerous implications” for the Middle East.
“This operation is against Qatar, which is leading the mediation efforts, and against the Hamas leadership that is discussing the American proposal,” Barghouti said. “Is there worse shamelessness?”
How has Qatar reacted?
Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Minister, released a statement condemning the attack. “This criminal attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents of Qatar,” the statement reads.
“While strongly condemning this attack, the State of Qatar affirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and its continued tampering with regional security, as well as any action targeting its security and sovereignty. Investigations are underway at the highest level, and further details will be announced as soon as they become available.”
What is the latest in Qatar?
Qatar’s Interior Ministry said that the situation is safe and that the explosions heard in Doha were a result of an attack on Hamas residential headquarters.
“The ministry confirms that specialised teams are working [at the scene], and the situation is safe, and calls on everyone to obtain information from official sources,” it said in a social media post.
Qatar Airways confirmed in a statement that its flight operations have not been impacted.
The statement reads: “The recent unfortunate events in Doha have not impacted Qatar Airways operations and there have been no disruptions as a result. The safety and security of our passengers have been and will always be our top priority.”
The US Embassy in Qatar had placed a shelter-in-place order for its personnel. However, it lifted the order shortly afterwards.
Several countries have condemned Israel’s attack on Qatar.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said that it “condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the brutal Israeli aggression and the flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the sisterly State of Qatar”, adding that it affirms “its full solidarity” with the fellow Gulf state.
Riyadh also warned of the “grave consequences resulting from the Israeli occupation’s persistence in its criminal transgressions and its blatant violation of the principles of international law and all international norms”.
Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack revealed that Israel was not interested in an agreement to end the war on Gaza.
“The targeting of the Hamas negotiating delegation while ceasefire talks continue shows that Israel does not aim to reach peace, but rather continue the war,” the ministry said in a statement.
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United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan released a statement expressing solidarity with Qatar, calling the attack “blatant and cowardly”.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry deemed the attack a “violation of international law”, Iranian media reported.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a social media post: “This act of aggression by Israel is totally unjustified, a brazen violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, and constitutes a most dangerous provocation that could imperil regional peace and stability.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the strikes a “flagrant violation” of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.
Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, the Maldives, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, and the Gulf Cooperation Council also all condemned the attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X that the attack on Qatar was “unacceptable, whatever the reason may be”, expressing solidarity with Qatar’s emir. “War must under no circumstances spread in the region,” he added.
Britain warned against the “further escalation of violence” in the region and said that it had no prior knowledge of the attack.
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