Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas leadership in Qatar on Tuesday. The strike against Hamas comes as the war in the Gaza Strip rages on with no signs of a ceasefire in sight.
The strike in Doha, which was condemned by several world leaders, was carried out amid ongoing negotiations for an urgent truce for Gaza and the release of remaining hostages held in Hamas captivity.
The strike on Doha has angered Qatar, which has been a key mediator between Hamas and Israel since the war broke out in 2023. Apart from this, Qatar is also a key ally for the US, and Tuesday’s attack marked a grave escalation in the Middle East region since US’ strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Why did Israel strike Doha?
The Qatari capital has been a key site for Hamas leadership, especially during the negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza. Since October 2023, upon request from the US governments, Doha opened the channel of communication between Hamas and Israel and has hosted leaders and teams from the Palestinian militant group for truce talks.
Tuesday’s attack comes as a Hamas delegation arrived in Doha to examine the latest proposal pushed by the US and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff for a ceasefire in Gaza and release of the remaining hostage.
Additionally, this attack on Hamas leadership comes days after both US President Donald Trump and the Israeli government issued “final warnings” to the militant group.
While this was the first time Israel has openly struck Qatar, it is not the first strike carried out outside Gaza to target Hamas leadership.
In July 2024, Israeli strikes assassinated Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh during his visit in Iran.
US claims Doha was informed, Qatar rejects claim
Moments after explosions were heard in Doha, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed full responsibility for the strike and stated that Tel Aviv carried out an “independent operation” against Hamas leadership.
However, during a press briefing from the White House, it was revealed that the US was informed of the Israeli operation and special envoy Witkoff was called on to inform Qatar of the same.
Qatar, on the other hand, has rejected this claim. The Qatari foreign ministry has said it was informed of the operation after explosions had been heard in the capital.
Calling the attack a “blatant violation of all international laws and norms”, Qatar stated that it will “not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty.”
The last time Doha was at the centre of tensions in the Middle East was when Iran launched a drone strike targeting the US military base in the capital as part of its response to American strikes on its nuclear sites.
Meanwhile, Trump made a rare snub towards Netanyahu as he took to Truth Social to claim the “unilateral strike” will not help in working towards the goals put in place by the US or Israel.
“This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me. Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” wrote Trump.
War in Gaza worsens
With no ceasefire in sight, the war in Gaza continues to rage on. As of Monday, the Gaza health ministry said Israeli bombardment across the Palestinian territory has killed over 64,000 people.
The latest toll stands at 64,522 and around 163,096 people have been injured since October 2023.
After the March truce fell through, Israel resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip and its blockade on aid. Last month, UN-backed IPC declared a famine was underway in several parts of Gaza.
Furthermore, the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is group of aid ships headed for Gaza, was allegedly targeted by drones in Tunisian waters as it prepares to resume its course for the Gaza strip.
