September 09, (THEWILL) — The Israeli military on Tuesday confirmed it carried out an airstrike in Doha, the capital of Qatar, targeting senior Hamas leaders.
While casualty figures were not immediately confirmed, television footage from Doha showed smoke billowing over parts of the city where the strike reportedly occurred.
The attack marks the first time Israel has launched a military operation in Doha, a city that has hosted mediation efforts aimed at ending the war.
Israeli authorities said those targeted were directly responsible for the October 7, 2023, assault on Israel and have since been “orchestrating and managing” the conflict from abroad.
Reacting, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the airstrike, describing it as a violation of international law and a threat to the security of both Qataris and residents.
“The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas in Doha.
“This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents. We will not tolerate this reckless and irresponsible behavior,” the ministry said in a statement.
The United Nations also condemned the attack. Secretary-General António Guterres described it as a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,” stressing that the Gulf nation had played “a positive role in ceasefire efforts and the release of hostages.”
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined in denouncing the strikes, calling for restraint and renewed focus on peace efforts.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office insisted the operation was exclusively Israeli-led.
“Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility,” the statement read.
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