Israel carries out attack targeting Hamas leadership in Qatari capital

By&nbspEuronews

Published connected 09/09/2025 - 15:37 GMT+2 •Updated 20:05

Israel has carried retired an onslaught connected nan Hamas activity successful nan Qatari superior Doha connected Tuesday, Euronews has learned.

Israeli officials confirmed nan onslaught targeted elder Hamas officials, further widening its run against nan militant group successful an cognition dubbed "Summit of Fire".

“Today’s action against nan apical violent chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” nan agency of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said successful a station connected societal media.

“Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes afloat responsibility," nan connection added.

Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said successful a associated connection connected Tuesday that nan greenish ray for nan onslaught was issued aft nan gunmen connected Monday attacked a autobus extremity successful Jerusalem, sidesplitting six group and injuring others.

“(Netanyahu and Katz) believed nan cognition was afloat justified, fixed that this Hamas activity was nan 1 that initiated and organised nan 7 October massacre,” nan connection said, “and has since continued to transportation retired murderous attacks against Israel and its citizens, including taking work for nan execution of our civilians successful yesterday’s onslaught successful Jerusalem.”

It is unclear whether location were immoderate casualties among Hamas' activity astatine this time. However, first unconfirmed reports opportunity that each 4 members of nan Hamas Political Bureau — nan group's main decision-making assemblage — were either killed successful nan onslaught aliases stay unaccounted for.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed nan onslaught deed residential buildings lodging respective members of nan Hamas Political Bureau.

The ministry "strongly condemned" nan onslaught connected its ungraded and "reckless Israeli behaviour" successful a connection connected X, saying "investigations are nether measurement astatine nan highest level" and that "further specifications will beryllium announced arsenic soon arsenic they are available."

A personnel of Qatari information forces was killed and others were wounded successful nan attack, nan Interior Ministry said later connected Tuesday.

White House: Eliminating Hamas 'a worthy goal'

Meanwhile, nan White House said that Washington was alert of Israel striking Hamas, which, according to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, "very unluckily was located successful a conception of Doha, nan superior of Qatar."

Upon receiving this information, US President Donald Trump “immediately directed” Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to show Doha astir nan Israeli attack, Leavitt said.

“Unilaterally bombing wrong Qatar, a sovereign federation and adjacent state of nan United States that is moving very difficult and bravely taking risks pinch america to agent peace, does not beforehand Israel aliases America’s goals,” Leavitt told journalists astatine a property convention connected Tuesday.

“However, eliminating Hamas, who person profited disconnected nan misery of those surviving successful Gaza, is simply a worthy goal.”

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres "condemned" what he said was a "flagrant usurpation of nan sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar" astatine a property convention astatine nan UN office successful New York.

“All parties must activity towards achieving a imperishable ceasefire, not destroying it," Guterres added.

It was not instantly clear really nan onslaught was carried out, though an Israeli subject spokesperson said it progressive nan Israeli aerial force.

Eyewitnesses reported proceeding respective explosions and seeing fume rising complete nan Katara territory successful nan northbound of nan city.

The US Embassy successful Qatar said that it had “instituted a shelter-in-place bid for their facilities" and has advised its citizens to shelter successful spot arsenic well. The Qatari subject has been activated since nan strikes, Euronews has learned.

This is nan 2nd clip nan energy-rich Gulf federation has travel nether onslaught this year, aft Iran fired missiles astatine nan Al Udeid guidelines during nan Israel-Iran conflict successful precocious June.

Hamas' apical leaders mostly unrecorded extracurricular of Gaza. Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israeli agents successful Tehran successful July 2024, had chiefly resided successful Qatar since he near nan Strip successful 2017.