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Israel’s military targeted senior Hamas leadership in Qatar with an airstrike on Tuesday.
“The IDF and ISA [Shin Bet] conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin were the two targets of the Israeli strikes, Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst said Tuesday, citing initial reports. Israeli officials told Fox News Digital that the U.S. was informed in advance of the strikes.
CCTV footage also appeared to capture the explosions in Doha.
“For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization’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 strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence,” the IDF added.
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“The IDF and ISA will continue to operate with determination in order to defeat the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for the October 7 massacre,” it also said.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack in a statement obtained by Fox News.
“The State of Qatar condemns in the strongest terms the cowardly Israeli attack targeting the residential headquarters of several members of the Hamas Political Bureau in the Qatari capital, Doha,” the statement said.
“The Ministry affirms that security agencies, civil defense, and relevant authorities immediately began responding to the incident and taking the necessary measures to contain its consequences and ensure the safety of residents and surrounding areas,” the spokesperson said. “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.”
Qatari officials also sent a letter to the Trump administration and the U.S. Embassy in Doha saying they are “assessing the damage and any casualties.”
“The timing coincides with the latest effort by the White House, and Qatari mediators, to advance a proposal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza,” the letter said. “Hamas negotiators traveled to Doha for this purpose, meeting yesterday with Qatar’s Prime Minister. Today’s attack clearly was designed to undermine the peace negotiations in which the United States and Qatar are collaborating closely.”
“An unprovoked military attack on a sovereign state, a Major non-NATO ally of the United States that hosts a large presence of American military forces and American civilians, is unacceptable and must be condemned,” it added.
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Al-Hayya recently was involved in talks for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the remaining hostages being held by the Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas.
Zaher Jabarin is responsible for Hamas’ finances and is a key player in the terrorist organization’s West Bank operations. He reportedly was involved in the negotiations as well, although his role was less prominent.
“Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued a temporary “shelter-in-place order” in the wake of the strikes. It later lifted the warning.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said on X, “I commend our security forces for this courageous and precise operation.”
“There is no hiding place for terrorists, and we will continue to pursue them everywhere,” he added.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it “condemns and denounces, in the strongest possible terms, the brutal Israeli aggression and the blatant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron called Israel’s airstrikes, “unacceptable, whatever the reason.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he condemned “Israel’s strikes on Doha, which violate Qatar’s sovereignty and risk further escalation across the region.”
Fox News’ Efrat Lachter and Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.
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