Explosions were reported in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Tuesday, with witnesses telling Reuters that smoke was seen rising over the Katara District.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority, citing a senior Israeli official, said the blasts were the result of an attack aimed at Hamas officials. Journalist Barak Ravid also reported that the official described the incident as an assassination attempt.
The Israeli military has confirmed it carried out an airstrike in Doha, saying its air force, in cooperation with domestic security agency Shin Bet, targeted the top leadership of Hamas in Qatar’s capital.
In a statement, the military said the unnamed Hamas figures had “led the organisation’s activities for years” and vowed to continue operations to “defeat the Hamas terrorist organisation”.
The strike follows recent comments by Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir, who warned that Hamas leaders abroad would be assassinated, and came just hours after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that Israel had accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by US President Donald Trump.
A senior Hamas source told Al Jazeera that the group’s leadership had been targeted in Doha while meeting to discuss the US ceasefire initiative. The source did not specify whether any officials were injured or killed in the strike.
Qatar has strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike in its capital, Doha, which targeted Hamas leaders and struck residential buildings, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.
Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry, described the attack as “cowardly” and “a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms”. He added that it posed “a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents of Qatar”.
Al Ansari stressed that Qatar “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour and its continued tampering with regional security, as well as any action targeting its security and sovereignty”. He added that investigations were under way at the highest level, with further details to be released soon.
The incident marks a dramatic escalation, striking in the Qatari capital, which has long hosted Hamas’s political bureau and mediated previous ceasefire agreements. Analysts warn that the attack risks derailing delicate negotiations and may undermine Qatar’s role as a key intermediary in the region.
Israeli broadcaster N12 reported that the strike was coordinated with the United States, and that President Donald J. Trump gave Israel the “green light” for the operation.
Details of casualties and damage remain unconfirmed.