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.
Turkey condemned Israel's attack against Hamas members in Qatar's capital Doha, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, adding that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aimed to deepen conflict and instability in the region.
Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official targeted by Israel in Qatar on Tuesday, has become an increasingly central figure in the leadership of the Palestinian militant group since both Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar were killed last year.
Israel launched an attack on the leadership of Hamas in Qatar on Tuesday, where the Palestinian Islamist group has long had its political base.
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