Multiple explosions were heard in Qatar’s Doha on Tuesday as Israel reportedly carried out air strikes targeting the senior leadership of Hamas, which was behind the October 7 attack.
A plume of smoke was
seen rising over the Katara district in the capital, as per an eyewitness.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it conducted a precise strike without mentioning the location of the strike. Hamas leaders have used the Qatari capital as a headquarters outside of Gaza for years.
Meanwhile, an Israeli official said the explosion in Doha is an assassination attempt against Hamas officials, Barak Ravid, Washington correspondent for Israel’s Channel 12, reported on X.
🚨🚨🚨Israeli official tells me the explosion in Doha is an assassination attempt again Hamas officials
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) September 9, 2025
Al Arabiya reported that Hamas’s chief Negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, was killed in the Israeli strike in Qatar.
10 airstrikes reported in Doha allegedly targeting Hamas HQ for targeted assignations of Hamas leadership in Qatar, according to a senior Israel official pic.twitter.com/AtNshbKlz5
— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) September 9, 2025
The IDF said these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organisation’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been “orchestrating” and “managing” the war against the State of Israel.
Prior to the attack, the Israeli Air Force said steps were taken to minimise harm to non-combatants, including the use of precision weaponry and additional intelligence information.
צה״ל ושב״כ באמצעות חיל-האוויר, תקפו לפני זמן קצר באופן ממוקד את צמרת הנהגת ארגון הטרור חמאס.
חברי ההנהגה שהותקפו הובילו את פעילות ארגון הטרור במשך שנים, ואחראים באופן ישיר לביצוע טבח ה-7 באוקטובר וניהול המלחמה נגד מדינת ישראל.
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) September 9, 2025
Qatar Condemns Israeli Strikes
Qatar condemned the “cowardly” Israeli attack on Doha as a “blatant violation” of international laws, stressing it will “not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour”.
“While strongly condemning this attack, the State of Qatar affirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour and its continued tampering with regional security, as well as any action targeting its security and sovereignty. Investigations are underway at the highest level, and further details will be announced as soon as they become available,” Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said in a statement.
Earlier today, Israel’s military said it would act with “great force” in Gaza City and told residents to leave as it stepped up a deadly assault on the Palestinian territory’s largest urban centre.
This comes as US President Donald Trump pushes for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Trump on Sunday said that “the Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning”. Later, Hamas said that it was ready to “immediately sit at the negotiating table” following what it described as “some ideas from the American side aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement”.
However, the White House has not released any details about the proposal, but Trump said, “you’ll be hearing about it pretty soon”.
