Israel struck the capital of Qatar on Tuesday, Doha, in missile attacks which, according to them, aimed at the senior leaders of Hamas, including the negotiators of the Palestinian group who embarked on talks on the creation of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Qatar condemned the attack as a violation of international law and its sovereignty, with several countries and blocks which are also unleashed in Israel.
The attack occurred at a time when Qatar, one of the main mediators between Israel and the United States, on the one hand, and Hamas on the other hand, had tried to negotiate a cease-fire in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 64,600 people since October 2023, when she launched a war on the Palestinian Nave.
Here is what we know so far about the strikes of Israel on Tuesday:
What happened in Qatar?
Tuesday, around 3 p.m. local time (12:00 p.m. GMT), several explosions were heard in Doha, and dark smoke plumes were above the horizon.
People have said they heard explosions in city districts. They were also audible at the Tel Aviv Tribune office in the city.
Shortly after 4 p.m. local time (1:00 p.m. GMT), the Israeli army confirmed that it had fired missiles in Doha, targeting a complex that welcomed Hamas political leaders. Shortly after, the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement condemning the attack.
This is the first time that Israel has attached Qatar, a country that its own negotiators have visited several times in the past two years for cease-fire talks mediated by the government in Doha.
Where in Qatar, did the attack take place?
The attack took place in the West Bay Lagoon region in Doha, which houses many foreign embassies, schools, supermarkets and compounds sheltering Qataris as well as residents around the world.
What has Hamas said?
An official in Hamas told Tel Aviv Tribune Arabic that the attack had targeted the cease-fire negotiators in Hamas. The attack occurred while Hamas negotiators met to examine the last cease-fire proposal presented by the United States.
Suhail al-Hindi, member of the Hamas political bureau, confirmed that the group’s management, targeted in Doha, had survived the attack.
Among those who would have been targeted were senior leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Meshaal.
But the son of Al-Hayya, Humam, and one of his best collaborators, were killed in the attack, al-Hindi told Tel Aviv Tribune. The contact had also been lost with three bodyguards, he said.
“The blood of the direction of the movement is like the blood of any Palestinian child,” said Al-Hindi.
What do we know about victims?
In addition to the son of Al-Hayya, Humam, and an assistant, Qatar confirmed late in the evening that at least a Qatari security official died during the attack. Other members of the Qatar security forces have been injured, said the country’s interior ministry.
“The specialized teams continue to inspect and secure the targeted area with the division of explosives of the internal security forces,” the ministry said in a statement.
Hamas said six people had been killed in all.
What does Israel say?
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a post on Tuesday said that Israel had acted alone.
“Today’s action against Hamas’ main terrorist leaders was a completely independent Israeli operation,” said the post.
“Israel has launched it, Israel has led him and Israel assumes full responsibility.”
Netanyahu and the Minister of Israel of Defense, Israel Katz, published a joint statement justifying the attack and the striker at the East Jerusalem-East shooting on Monday during which six Israelis were killed.
“The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense thought that the operation was completely justified in the light of the fact that this management of Hamas had initiated and organized the massacre of October 7, and has not stopped launching deadly actions against the State of Israel and its citizens since then,” the statement said.
Doha’s strikes violate the Charter of the United Nations – to vioder the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.
But the Israeli opposition chief, Yair, Lapid, praised the attack in an article on social networks, saying: “Congratulations to the Air Force (Israeli army), Shin Bet and all the security forces for an exceptional operation to thwart our enemies.”
Israeli ambassador to the United States suggested more attempts to eliminate Hamas leaders in Qatar or elsewhere.
“If we didn’t get them this time, we will get them next time,” said Yechiel Leiter during an interview with the Fox News program “Special Report” on Tuesday.
How did the other Palestinian authorities react?
Mustafa Barghouti, secretary general of the Palestinian national initiative, said that the Israeli attack on Doha represents a “turning point that will have dangerous implications” for the Middle East.
“This operation is against Qatar, which leads mediation efforts and against the management of Hamas who discusses the American proposal,” said Barghouti. “Is there a worst impudence?”
How did Qatar react?
Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, published a statement sentenced the attack. “This criminal attack is a blatant violation of all international laws and standards and a serious threat to the security and security of Qataris and residents of Qatar,” the statement said.
“While strongly condemning this attack, the state of Qatar affirms that it will not tolerate this imprudent Israeli behavior and its continuous falsification of regional security, as well as any action targeting its security and its sovereignty. The surveys are underway at the highest level, and other details will be announced as soon as they are available. ”
What is the last of Qatar?
The Qatar Interior Ministry said the explosions heard in Doha were the result of an attack on the Hamas residential seat.
“The ministry confirms that the specialized teams work (on the scene) and that the situation is sure and calls everyone to obtain information from official sources,” he said in an article on social networks.
Qatar Airways confirmed in a statement that its flight operations had not been affected.
The declaration is read as follows: “The recent unhappy events of Doha did not have an impact on the operations of Qatar Airways and there was no interruption.
The United States Embassy in Qatar had issued a shelter on site for its staff. However, he raised the order shortly after.
Several countries have condemned Israel’s attack on Qatar. Some Arab leaders visit Qatar on Wednesday and Thursday in a demonstration of solidarity.
The Ministry of Saudi Affairs has published a declaration saying that it “condemns and denounces the highest terms of the brutal Israeli aggression and the flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the fraternal state of Qatar”. Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman is expected to arrive in Doha on Thursday, Reuters reported, quoting an unnamed official.
Riyadh has also warned of “serious consequences resulting from the persistence of the Israeli occupation in its criminal transgressions and its blatant violation of the principles of international law and all international standards”.
The Turkiye’s foreign ministry said the attack revealed that Israel was not interested in an agreement to end the war against Gaza.
“The targeting of the Hamas negotiation delegation, while the cease-fire talks continue show that Israel is not intended to reach peace, but rather to continue the war,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs judged the attack on a “violation of international law”, Iranian media reported.
The United Arab Emirates (Water), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, published a statement expressing his solidarity with Qatar, qualifying the attack on “flagrant and loose”. The President of the Water arrived in Qatar on Wednesday.
Jordan also condemned the attack. On Wednesday, Crown Prince Hussein was due to arrive in Qatar.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in an article on social networks: “This act of aggression by Israel is completely unjustified, a cheeky violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and constitutes a most dangerous provocation that could implement regional peace and stability.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described strikes as “blatant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Maldives, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria and the Gulf Cooperation Council also condemned the attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in an article on X that the attack on Qatar was “unacceptable, whatever reason”, expressing solidarity with the Emir of Qatar. “War should in no case spread in the region,” he added.
The United Kingdom warned against the “additional escalation of violence” in the region and said that it had no prior knowledge of the attack.
