Qatar’s capital Doha was rocked by multiple explosions as Israel claimed it targeted major Hamas leaders residing in the city, local media reports said.
Taking responsibility for the attack, Israeli military said that Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader, was on its target.
“The IDF (Israeli military) and ISA (security agency) conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation,” the military noted, without adding further.
Israel Justifies Assault on Hamas Leaders in Qatar
“For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7th massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel,” Israel said.
Majority of Hamas leaders reside in Qatar’s Doha, a country which has played the role of mediator between Hamas and Israel for many years.
Meanwhile, Israeli military claimed that it attacked the Hamas leaders with accurate munitions and gathered extra intelligence about their exact location in a bid to minimize damage to common citizens, reports said.
In response, Qatar called the attack ‘cowardly’ and added that it was a ‘criminal assault’ which breached global ‘laws’.
Qatar and Iran Lambast Israel for Attack
“The State of Qatar condemns in the strongest terms the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential headquarters housing several members of the political bureau of the movement in the Qatari capital, Doha. This criminal assault constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar,” a statement from the Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The Israeli attack inside Qatar could jeopardize the ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, in which Doha is likely to play a major role.
Moreover, the finance minister of Israel praised his forces for carrying out the attack and said Israeli leadership took the ‘right decision’ to attack Hamas leaders.
Meanwhile, Iran criticized the assassination attempt and termed it as a ‘gross violation.’
Amid these, the US has swiftly launched a safe place for American citizens currently in Doha, local media reports have said.
Also Read: THESE Hollywood Celebrities Refused to Work With Israel – Is Mark ‘The Hulk’ Ruffalo a Part of It?
