Israel Attack In Qatar: All You Need To Know

(Al Jazeera) Israel struck Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Tuesday, in missile attacks that it said were aimed at senior leaders of Hamas, including negotiators from the Palestinian group who have been engaged in talks on securing a ceasefire in Gaza.

Qatar condemned the attack as a violation of international law and of its sovereignty, with multiple countries and blocs also lashing out at Israel.

The attack came at a time when Qatar, one of the lead mediators between Israel and the United States, on the one hand, and Hamas on the other, had been trying to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 64,600 people since October 2023, when it launched a war on the Palestinian enclave.

What happened in Qatar?

On Tuesday, around 3pm local time (12:00 GMT), multiple explosions were heard in Doha, and dark plumes of smoke rose above the skyline.

People reported hearing the explosions in neighbourhoods across the city. They were also audible at Al Jazeera’s office in the city.

Soon after 4pm local time (13:00 GMT), Israel’s military confirmed that it had fired missiles into Doha, targeting a compound believed to be hosting Hamas political leaders. Shortly after, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the attack.

This is the first time that Israel has attacked Qatar, a country its own negotiators have visited repeatedly over the past two years for ceasefire talks mediated by the government in Doha.

Where in Qatar did the attack take place?

The attack took place in the West Bay Lagoon area in Doha, home to many foreign embassies, schools, supermarkets and residential compounds. The region is home to Qataris as well as residents from around the world.

What has Hamas said?

A Hamas official told Al Jazeera Arabic that the attack targeted Hamas ceasefire negotiators. The attack came as negotiators from Hamas were meeting to consider the latest ceasefire proposal put forth by the US.

But Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, also confirmed that the group’s leadership, which was targeted in Doha, had survived the attack.

Among those believed to have been targeted were senior leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Meshaal.

But the attack killed al-Hayya’s son, Humam, and one of his top aides, al-Hindi told Al Jazeera. Contact had also been lost with three other bodyguards, he added.

What do we know about casualties?

In addition to al-Hayya’s son Humam and an aide, Qatar confirmed late in the evening that at least one Qatari security official had died in the attack. Other members of Qatar’s security forces were wounded, the country’s Interior Ministry said.

What has Israel said?

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released an X post on Tuesday saying Israel acted alone in the attack.

Netanyahu and Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement justifying the attack and tying it to the shooting in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday in which six Israelis were killed.

The strikes on Doha violate the United Nations Charter — breaching Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

How has Qatar reacted?

Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Minister, released a statement condemning the attack. “This criminal attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents of Qatar,” the statement reads.

“While strongly condemning this attack, the State of Qatar affirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior 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.”

How has the international community reacted?
Several countries have condemned Israel’s attack on Qatar.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said that it “condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the brutal Israeli aggression and the flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the sisterly State of Qatar”, adding that it affirms “its full solidarity” with the fellow Gulf state.

Riyadh also warned of the “grave consequences resulting from the Israeli occupation’s persistence in its criminal transgressions and its blatant violation of the principles of international law and all international norms”.

Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack revealed that Israel was not interested in an agreement to end the war on Gaza.

“The targeting of the Hamas negotiating delegation while ceasefire talks continue shows that Israel does not aim to reach peace, but rather continue the war,” the ministry said in a statement.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan released a statement expressing solidarity with Qatar, calling the attack “blatant and cowardly”.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry deemed the attack a “violation of international law”, Iranian media reported.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a social media post: “This act of aggression by Israel is totally unjustified, a brazen violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, and constitutes a most dangerous provocation that could imperil regional peace and stability.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes a “flagrant violation” of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.

Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, the Maldives, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, and the Gulf Cooperation Council also all condemned the attack.

The United Kingdom warned against the “further escalation of violence” in the region and said that it had no prior knowledge of the attack.