Israel targets Hamas leadership in Qatar strike
On September 9, 2025, Israel conducted an unprecedented airstrike in Doha, Qatar, targeting senior Hamas leaders, according to CNN. The attack, which involved over 10 fighter jets, hit residential buildings housing members of Hamas’ political bureau, as confirmed by Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari. Qatar, a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks, reported the death of a Qatari security official, while Hamas stated five of its members, including the son of chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, were killed, though Al-Hayya survived.
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, condemned the strike as “state terrorism” during a press conference, asserting it sent a message of regional aggression. He noted the U.S. contacted Qatar 10 minutes after the attack, which used radar-evading weapons, likely from Israel’s F-35I jets. Al Ansari denied prior notification, refuting claims to the contrary as “baseless.”
International reactions were swift and critical. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong, in an interview with Sky News, called the strike a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty that undermines ceasefire efforts. New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu echoed condemnations on X, labeling the attack as escalatory, a breach of international law, and cowardly, respectively. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also denounced the strike, with the latter urging Israel to resume negotiations.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in a pre-taped One America News Network interview, expressed frustration, stating President Donald Trump viewed the attack as contrary to U.S. and Israeli interests. Despite the global backlash, Qatar’s prime minister affirmed the nation’s commitment to mediation, though the path forward for Gaza talks remains uncertain.
The strike, the first of its kind in Qatar, has heightened regional tensions, with world leaders calling for de-escalation and accountability amid ongoing ceasefire efforts.