Several loud explosions were heard across Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Tuesday evening, and footage that quickly circulated on social media showed thick clouds of smoke rising from residential blocks — images that shocked regional diplomats and put mediation efforts in peril.
Israeli authorities soon confirmed they had carried out a “precise strike” aimed at senior members of Hamas’s political leadership, calling the operation a targeted action against those they say planned and directed deadly attacks against Israeli civilians.
What was reported on the ground
Witnesses and TV footage showed smoke and damage in parts of central Doha soon after the blasts.
The Israeli military and its domestic security agency (Shin Bet/ISA) released a statement saying the operation was aimed at “the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization” and that steps were taken to reduce civilian harm, including the use of precision munitions and intelligence measures.
Qatar and several international media outlets immediately reported clashes between differing accounts of casualties and who was present at the targeted site.
Who was hit — conflicting accounts
Israeli sources said the strike targeted top Hamas figures who, Israel alleges, are responsible for the October 7, 2023, assault on Israel and ongoing attacks since then. But reporting on the fate of senior leaders has been inconsistent:
Hamas officials told Al Jazeera that the group’s top negotiators survived the strike, while other reports named several fatalities among lower-level aides and bodyguards — including, according to Hamas sources, the son and an aide of Khalil al-Hayya. International outlets continue to verify names and numbers as Qatari authorities investigate.
Did Washington know or approve?
Several Israeli media reports — citing senior Israeli officials and Channel 12 — said U.S. President Donald Trump was informed and gave his approval before the strike; Israeli live coverage and the Times of Israel relayed that claim.
U.S. officials, however, have sought to distance themselves from any claim of direct authorization: the White House described the development as “unfortunate” in live reporting, and U.S. spokespeople said the administration was briefed around the time of events.
The gap between Israeli media reports and official U.S. statements has become one of the most contentious points in the aftermath.
Qatar’s response — “criminal assault”
Doha’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a “cowardly” and “criminal assault” that violated international law and Qatar’s sovereignty.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Dr. Majed Al-Ansari said the attack struck residential buildings that housed members of Hamas’s Political Bureau, warned that such actions endanger residents and regional security, and announced a high-level investigation.
Qatar has long hosted some members of Hamas’s exile political leadership and acted as a mediator in past hostage-and-ceasefire talks, which is why the strike immediately raised concerns about derailing sensitive negotiations.
U.S. embassy and other immediate reactions
The U.S. Embassy in Doha issued a shelter-in-place advisory for U.S. citizens in the city while diplomatic staff were placed under protective orders; that advice was later updated as conditions changed.
Other capitals and international bodies also reacted quickly: the United Nations and several regional governments condemned the use of force on Qatari soil, and Iran labeled the attack “dangerous” and a violation of international law — reflecting a broad wave of diplomatic alarm.
Background to help make sense of both sides
Who is Hamas, and why are its leaders in Doha?
Hamas is both a Palestinian political movement and an armed group that governs Gaza’s internal affairs and maintains an external “political bureau.”
Since the 1990s, various senior members of that political leadership have lived abroad; Qatar has hosted several exiled members and has repeatedly served as a mediator between Hamas and other parties, including Qatar’s role in shuttle diplomacy for hostage-release and ceasefire proposals during the long Israel-Gaza war that followed the October 7, 2023, attack.
Khalil al-Hayya, named in multiple reports as a key negotiator, has been a senior figure in those outside-Gaza negotiations.
Israel’s rationale
From the Israeli government’s perspective, senior Hamas figures who plan, direct, or materially enable attacks are legitimate military targets — especially those Israel blames for the October 7, 202,3, attacks and subsequent operations against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Israeli officials framed the Doha strike as an act of national self-defense and a targeted blow against leadership they say has orchestrated continuous hostilities.
In public statements, they emphasized efforts to limit civilian harm and described the operation as a precision action by the IDF and Israeli intelligence.
Qatar and international law concerns
Opponents of the strike — notably Qatar and a range of international actors — argue that any military action inside a sovereign, U.S.-allied state without its consent is a grave violation of international law and a dangerous escalation.
Qatar also warned that striking a site where negotiators and mediators may be gathered risks destroying the remaining pathways to a negotiated truce and the liberation of hostages. Global leaders and the UN voiced similar worries about the impact on regional stability.
Why the timing matters
Reports indicate that the Hamas delegation in Doha had been reviewing a ceasefire/hostage proposal that involved U.S. mediation; striking at that moment risks collapsing delicate diplomacy.
Conversely, Israeli officials argued the strike was a response to a recent deadly shooting in Jerusalem and part of broader efforts to prevent further attacks. That clash of immediate security logic versus long-term diplomatic calculus is what makes the episode so alarming to outside observers.
What is known — and what remains unclear
- Known: Explosions were heard and smoke was widely reported over Doha; Israel publicly acknowledged and described a precision strike aimed at Hamas leaders; Qatar condemned the attacks and opened an investigation; the U.S. Embassy ordered shelter-in-place advisories for U.S. citizens in Doha.
- Unclear / disputed: Exactly which senior Hamas figures (if any) were killed versus injured or spared; the precise sequence of notification and whether the U.S. simply was briefed or actually green-lit the operation (Israeli media cite Channel 12 for a “green light” claim, while U.S. officials have offered more cautious or distancing language).
- Investigations by Qatari authorities and independent reporting are still ongoing.
Why do both perspectives look persuasive to their own audiences
- Israel’s audience hears an account of pre-emptive, proportionate justice against those labeled responsible for mass casualties, coupled with the claim that precision and intelligence were used to avoid broader civilian harm.
- That argument resonates in Israel after October 7 and subsequent attacks.
- Qatar’s and many international actors’ audience hears a sovereign state being violated during a time when Doha was actively facilitating talks — an act that risks escalating a wider regional conflagration and closing channels for diplomacy and hostage release. That argument draws on sovereign-rights principles and the practical concern that targeted killings in neutral territory can wreck negotiations.
What to watch next
- The Qatari government’s investigation and official casualty list.
- Official clarifications from the Israeli government about the strike’s targets and the tactical rationale.
- Statements and any documentary evidence from the U.S. administration about what it was told and when, given the conflicting media accounts.
- Whether the strike derails or accelerates ceasefire/hostage negotiations in the immediate days ahead, and the diplomatic ripple effects across the Gulf and wider Middle East.
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