Several blasts heard in Qatar's Doha, Axios says assassination attempt against Hamas officials

Several blasts were heard in Qatar's Doha on Tuesday, Reuters witnesses said.

Axios reporter Barak Ravid citing Israeli officials said the explosion in Doha is an assassination attempt against Hamas officials.

Smoke was seen rising over the Katara District in the capital, an eyewitness said.

In a statement, the IDF and Shin Bet announce targeting Hamas’s leadership in a strike carried out by the Israeli Air Force.

The statement does not explicitly mention Qatar, but comes following reports of large explosions in Doha, where Hamas’s top leadership resides.

“The members of the leadership who were struck led the terror organization’s activities for years, and are directly responsible for carrying out the October 7 massacre and waging the war against the State of Israel,” the statement says.

The military says it took steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike, including by using precision munitions and other intelligence.