Hamas, White House respond to Israeli attack on mediator Qatar

The White House has said Israel's onslaught connected Qatar targeting Hamas activity is an "unfortunate incident", arsenic different world leaders condemn nan onslaught connected a state that has been a important mediator successful attempts to extremity nan conflict successful Gaza.

Hours aft nan strike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel accepted a caller US ceasefire connection and claimed nan onslaught could bring nan extremity of nan warfare closer.

"The days erstwhile nan heads of panic enjoyed immunity anyplace are over," Netanyahu said successful Hebrew astatine a US embassy arena successful Jerusalem.

"I will not let specified immunity for nan murderers of our people."

An Israeli information charismatic said nan cognition "could perchance make a shift" that could bring an extremity to nan warfare successful Gaza, though it's unclear really targeting nan main Hamas negotiator would lead to specified a change.

Israel carried retired nan onslaught targeting Hamas activity successful Qatar connected Tuesday (overnight AEST), successful an unprecedented onslaught that threatened to derail renewed bid efforts and further inflame tensions successful nan region.

Surveillance footage aired by Al Jazeera shows nan onslaught connected buildings that housed Hamas' governmental helping successful Doha's negotiated quarter.

A elder Israeli charismatic told CNN that among those targeted was Hamas' main negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya.

"We are awaiting nan results of nan strike," nan charismatic said.

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt told reporters that nan US received anterior announcement astir nan pending onslaught from Israel.

In response, negotiated envoy Steve Witkoff passed on a informing to nan Qataris.

President Donald Trump said to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aft nan attack, Leavitt said, and "made his thoughts and concerns very clear."

She said Trump believes nan onslaught was an "unfortunate incident" that didn't beforehand bid successful nan region.

Hamas said successful a connection that each of its leaders survived nan onslaught but that 5 lower-ranked members were killed.

The boy of Khalil al-Hayya, a Hamas leader and apical negotiator, was killed on pinch nan caput of al-Hayya's office, Suheil al-Hindi, a personnel of Hamas' governmental bureau, told Al-Jazeera.

Hamas, which has sometimes only confirmed nan assassination of its leaders months later, offered nary contiguous impervious they had survived.

A personnel of Qatar's Internal Security Force was besides killed and others were wounded, Qatar's Interior Ministry said.

Qatar's Interior Ministry said 1 of its information unit was killed successful nan attack.

The ministry issued a connection saying a personnel of Qatar's Internal Security Force was killed.

Other information unit were hurt, it added.

It did not connection immoderate specifications astir nan position of Hamas officials astatine nan site.

The Qatari overseas ministry's spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, said "the cowardly Israeli attack" targeted residential buildings lodging respective members of nan Hamas governmental bureau successful Doha.

"While powerfully condemning this attack, nan State of Qatar emphasizes that it will not tolerate this reckless and irresponsible Israeli behavior," Al Ansari said connected X.

Qatar has been a cardinal mediator successful Gaza ceasefire talks, maintaining nonstop channels pinch nan US, Israel and Hamas.

It has besides hosted aggregate rounds of negotiations, and elder Israeli officials – including nan caput of nan Mossad spy agency and apical Israeli negotiators – person visited Doha. Whether specified visits will proceed remains uncertain.

Einav Zangauker, nan mother of an Israeli hostage held successful Gaza, said Tuesday's onslaught could service arsenic a decease condemnation for her son.

"I americium trembling pinch fear. It could beryllium that astatine this very moment, nan premier curate has fundamentally executed my Matan, sentenced him to death," Zangauker wrote connected X. "Why is he insisting connected blowing up each chance for a deal?"

Antonio Guterres, nan Secretary-General of nan United Nations, condemned nan attack, saying "Qatar has been playing a very affirmative domiciled to execute a ceasefire and merchandise of each hostages," according to a UN spokesperson.

A elder Hamas charismatic confirmed to CNN that nan group's negotiators were targeted successful Doha, but nan group has yet to make an charismatic connection astir it.

'Israel takes afloat responsibility'

The Israeli root who said to CNN said nan United States was informed up of nan strike.

It was not clear really overmuch informing was provided aliases whether nan US expressed support for nan strike.

Two US officials confirmed to CNN that nan Trump management had been notified.

Congressional leaders appeared caught disconnected defender by Israel's strike.

"I'm not judge astir that development," House Speaker Mike Johnson said erstwhile asked astir nan business astatine his play property convention connected Tuesday. "We'll person to reserve judgement."

Senate leaders Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican John Thune made nary mention of nan strikes successful their opening remarks arsenic nan enclosure convened.

It was unclear if they had been briefed up of nan action.

CNN has reached retired to nan White House and nan State Department for comment.

In a statement, nan Israeli Prime Minister's Office said, "Today's action against nan apical violent chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes afloat responsibility."

The short missive appeared designed to region nan US from nan Israeli onslaught connected a captious American state successful nan Middle East.

Two Israeli sources said nan attack, which nan IDF called "Summit of Fire," had been planned astir 2 aliases 3 months agone but was accelerated successful caller weeks.

Qatar is 1 of nan US' closest friends successful nan Middle East and location to nan Al Udeid Air Base, nan biggest American subject installation successful nan region.

A cardinal information partner of Washington, it was designated a Major Non-NATO Ally successful 2022.

Following Tuesday's strike, nan US embassy successful Qatar instituted a shelter-in-place order for its accommodation successful nan country, it said successful a station connected X.

"We person seen reports of rocket strikes occurring successful Doha. The US Embassy has instituted a shelter-in-place bid for their facilities. US citizens are advised to shelter-in-place," it said.

It lifted each restrictions hours later, but advised each American unit and visitors successful Doha to "remain vigilant."

Shortly aft nan detonation successful Qatar, nan IDF issued a connection saying it had targeted "senior leadership" of Hamas pinch "a precise strike" successful a associated cognition pinch nan Shin Bet information agency.

"For years, these members of nan Hamas activity person led nan violent organization's operations, are straight responsible for nan sadistic October 7th massacre, and person been orchestrating and managing nan warfare against nan State of Israel," nan IDF said.

On Monday, Khalil Al-Hayya met pinch Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani successful Doha.

During nan discussion, Al-Thani pressured Hamas to "respond positively" to a US ceasefire connection for Gaza, according to an charismatic acquainted pinch nan meeting. The proposal, which was put guardant this week, called connected Hamas to merchandise each Israeli hostages successful speech for negotiations to extremity nan warfare successful nan enclave.

The sidesplitting of Hamas' main negotiator is apt to derail nan US's latest ceasefire effort, particularly since imaginable US knowledge of nan assassination effort would erode Hamas' already brittle religion successful Washington arsenic an impartial negotiator.

It's not nan first clip Israel has carried retired an onslaught that undermines US negotiated efforts.

In June, Israel opened a subject run against Iran while Washington was successful talks pinch Tehran complete its atomic program.

Although some nan US and Iran had already voiced doubts astir making progress, nan Israeli strikes efficaciously ended immoderate chance of an agreement.

World's leaders respond to strike

Syria says nan onslaught connected Doha reflects Israel's deficiency of respect for world law.

Syria's Foreign Ministry warned successful a connection that nan Israeli strikes targeting Hamas activity represented "a vulnerable escalation that would undermine information and stableness successful nan region."

The ministry called nan onslaught "a blatant usurpation of world rule and nan sovereignty of nan sisterly State of Qatar."

Qatar has been a beardown protagonist of nan interim authorities successful Syria since erstwhile Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted successful a lightning rebel violative successful December.

Israel has been suspicious of Syria's caller Islamist-led authorities, and Israeli forces person seized a UN-patrolled buffer area successful confederate Syria and launched hundreds of airstrikes connected Syrian subject sites since Assad's fall.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned nan strikes, describing them arsenic "evidence of Israel's description ist policies and its take of coercion of authorities strategy."

The ministry's connection expressed Turkey's solidarity pinch Qatar and renewed a telephone connected nan world organization to exert unit to halt Israel's actions successful nan Palestinian territories and nan wider region.

Omer Celik, nan spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party, described nan onslaught arsenic a "barbaric enactment of terrorism."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said nan Israeli strikes were "part of a bid of attacks committed by Israel, demonstrating its insistence connected undermining each efforts made to execute stableness and information successful nan countries of nan region and nan information of its people."

Since a ceasefire nominally put an extremity to nan latest warfare betwixt Israel and nan Lebanese militant group Hezbollah successful November, Israel has continued to motorboat near-daily strikes successful Lebanon.

The Egyptian presidency said successful a connection that nan onslaught "targeted a gathering of Palestinian leaders successful nan Qatari capital, Doha, to talk ways to scope a ceasefire agreement" successful Gaza.

"This onslaught sets a superior precedent and an unacceptable development, and constitutes a nonstop battle connected nan sovereignty of nan sisterly State of Qatar, which plays a pivotal domiciled successful mediation efforts to execute a ceasefire successful nan Gaza Strip," it said.

When asked if nan British authorities had been told, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson Dave Pares, pointed to a connection by Israel's premier curate saying nan onslaught was a solely an Israeli operation.

Pares called Hamas "a vile violent organisation," but did not straight criticise nan Israeli attack.

"We do not want to spot a further escalation successful unit which risks further destabilisation successful nan region. Our overarching privilege is to spot an extremity to nan horrific suffering successful Gaza," he said.

However, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer later denounced nan attack.

"I condemn Israel's strikes connected Doha, which break Qatar's sovereignty and consequence further escalation crossed nan region," he said.

"The privilege must beryllium an contiguous ceasefire, nan merchandise of hostages, and a immense surge successful assistance into Gaza. This is nan only solution towards long-lasting peace."

Downing Street confirmed that Starmer's gathering pinch Israeli President Isaac Herzog will spell up Wednesday section clip successful nan UK.

"The Prime Minister will beryllium gathering nan Israeli president, wherever he'll raise nan intolerable business successful Gaza, nan action Israel must return to extremity nan horrific suffering we're witnessing. It cannot spell connected immoderate longer," a spokesperson said.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said successful a connection that he's very concerned astir nan information of nan hostages still held by Hamas.

Germany is simply a staunch state of Israel, though successful caller months it has go progressively captious of Israel's actions successful Gaza.

"Israel's onslaught successful Doha not only violates nan territorial sovereignty of Qatar, but besides endangers each our efforts for nan merchandise of nan hostages," Wadephul said.

"This onslaught is unacceptable," he said.

He said he has voiced his interest astir nan lives and information of hostages held by Hamas, including German citizens, successful a telephone telephone pinch Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

Wadephul said he said to his Qatari counterpart and expressed his "solidarity" and nickname of efforts to unafraid a ceasefire and nan merchandise of nan hostages.

In a telephone telephone pinch Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described Israel's onslaught connected Doha arsenic a "criminal enactment and a flagrant usurpation of world law."

He offered Saudi Arabia's "full solidarity" pinch Qatar.

Mohammed al-frah a personnel of nan Houthis' governmental agency successful Yemen, posted his condemnation of nan onslaught connected X, saying Israel and nan United States are afloat responsible.

"This cowardly cognition was thing but a deliberate assassination effort against nan negotiating delegation, a bad effort to destruct immoderate imaginable for peace, and an execution of immoderate negotiated dream successful nan region," he said.

Iraq's overseas ministry said successful a connection that this "cowardly enactment represents a flagrant violation" of Qatar's sovereignty and poses a threat to its information and stability.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates Iraq's patient position successful opinionated pinch nan authorities and group of nan sisterly State of Qatar, and afloat supporting it successful confronting immoderate attacks that undermine its sovereignty aliases frighten its nationalist security," nan connection read.

The Israeli ambassador to nan UN applauded nan 'courageous' onslaught successful Doha.

Danny Danon defended his country's onslaught Tuesday connected Hamas' office successful Doha, saying "there is nary hiding spot for terrorists."

"The precise onslaught successful Doha targeted elder Hamas leaders who planned nan October 7 massacre and celebrated while our citizens were abducted," Danon posted connected X.

"I commend our information forces for this courageous and precise operation."

UN General Assembly's caller president calls for 'maximum restraint'

Annalena Baerbock called Israel's onslaught successful Qatar an escalation of nan conflict successful Gaza and "obviously concerning."

Baerbock, a erstwhile German overseas minister, stressed that each 193 UN personnel nations are required by nan UN Charter to respect nan sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country.

She called for intensified negotiated efforts toward an contiguous and imperishable ceasefire, improved humanitarian assistance for civilians successful Gaza by nan Israeli government, and nan merchandise of each hostages held by Hamas.

Baerbock said soon aft taking nan oath of agency to go president of nan 80th convention of nan General Assembly, which ends successful September 2026.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned nan Israeli onslaught connected Hamas' office successful Doha.

"We are conscionable learning astir nan Israeli attacks successful Qatar, a state that has been playing a very affirmative domiciled to execute a ceasefire and nan merchandise of each hostages," Guterres told reporters astatine a property convention astatine nan United Nations office successful New York.

"I condemn this flagrant usurpation of nan sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar," he said, adding "all parties must activity towards achieving a imperishable ceasefire, not destroying it."

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