Israeli Airstrike in Qatar Hits Hamas Leadership Amid Ceasefire Talks
Pressure erupted in Doha on Tuesday evening as Israel carried out an airstrike targeting elderly Hamas members.
The rare strike comes amid delicate US-backed ceasefire conversations in Gaza, raising concerns that the fragile peace process could be thrown out course.
The Strike
The attack involved 15 Israeli fighter jets, which reportedly dropped 10 precision-guided munitions on an emulsion in Doha’s West Bay Lagoon area. The structure is known to host Hamas’s political office.
Hamas confirmed that five people were killed, including several bodyguards and a Qatari security officer.
H*mas leaders were reportedly k*lled during an Israeli airstrike in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday.
President Trump reportedly gave Israel the green light for their Operation “Summit of Fire.”pic.twitter.com/Gor8r136hc
— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) September 9, 2025
The group said its senior negotiators survived. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the site, sending nearby residents scrambling for safety.
The incident has ramped up tensions in Qatar, with multiple reports from the Doha airstrike describing both the immediate destruction and its broader implications for the region.
Qatar and International Reaction
Qatar’s Interior Ministry named the Qatari officer killed as Warrant Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Humaidi Al-Dosari, part of the elite Lekhwiya internal security force. Several other officers were injured in the attack.
The ministry confirmed that security forces are still securing the area: “Relevant authorities continue to survey and secure the targeted area with the Explosives Unit of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), implementing field procedures in accordance with contingency plans to ensure effective containment and control of the situation.”
The United Nations condemned the strike, warning that it could derail ongoing hostage negotiations and the ceasefire process. Secretary-General António Guterres described it as a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty.
Israel and U.S. Response
Israeli leaders defended the strike as a precise operation against Hamas’s leadership.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.” He added that the action “can open the door to an end of the war in Gaza.”
The strike drew review from transnational diplomats, pressing the delicate balance between military conduct and ongoing peace sweats.
Effect on Ceasefire Talks
The timing is critical. Hamas had reportedly been considering an armistice offer, which involved releasing 48 hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian captives held in Israeli jails.
The airstrike has complicated these accommodations, with Hamas accusing Israel of deliberately undermining the addresses and holding the United States “ concertedly responsible. ”
Original media content in Doha has stressed the destruction caused by the strike and the heightened anxiety it has created across the Gulf region.
This Israeli airstrike in Qatar marks an unusual and significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
With politics still proceeding, the coming days will be vital in determining whether lodgment can survive this unlooked-for flare-up.