The Israeli military carried out a strike on senior Hamas leaders in Doha on Tuesday, with Saudi media reporting that the attack killed Khalil al-Hayya, a top figure in the militant group.
Khalil al-Hayya © Reuters
The Israeli military carried out a strike on senior Hamas leaders in Doha on Tuesday, with Saudi media reporting that the attack killed Khalil al-Hayya, a top figure in the militant group.
Other high-ranking officials, including Khaled Meshaal and Zaher Jabarin, were also targeted in the operation.
According to witnesses, ten explosions were heard near what is believed to be the Hamas headquarters in the Katara district of the Qatari capital. Smoke was seen rising from the area shortly after the blasts.
A senior Israeli official confirmed the operation, codenamed “Summit of Fire”, saying: “We struck Hamas leaders in Qatar and are awaiting the results of the attack. There was consensus among political and security leaders to act.”
The strike comes at a sensitive moment, as a Hamas delegation was in Qatar to discuss the details of a potential hostage deal. In recent weeks, Israeli officials had openly suggested the possibility of targeting Hamas leaders abroad, including on Qatari soil.
The reported assassination of al-Hayya, if confirmed, would mark a major escalation in Israel’s campaign against Hamas, extending the conflict beyond Gaza and into the heart of the Gulf region.
A senior Hamas leader, Khaled Mechaal, said on Sunday that the Palestinian terrorist group would not give up its weapons and would reject any form of foreign control over the Gaza Strip, despite calls from the United States for its disarmament.
Saudi Arabia announced a major new investment package in Syria on Saturday, covering energy, aviation, real estate and telecommunications, as Riyadh deepens its support for Syria’s new leadership.
Iran will strike U.S. bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by U.S. forces that have massed in the region, its foreign minister said on Saturday, insisting that this should not be seen as an attack on the countries hosting them.
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