Approximately ten explosions were reported as the IDF targeted the group’s headquarters in Doha.
On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed carrying out a “precise strike” against the “senior leadership of Hamas” following several explosions that hit the Palestinian militant group’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar.
The Israeli military stated that the operation was executed in conjunction with the Shin Bet security agency (ISA). The IDF refrained from disclosing the precise location that was targeted in the strike.
In a statement, the IDF declared, “The IDF and ISA carried out a precise strike aimed at the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization.” It further added, “Before the strike, precautions were implemented to reduce civilian harm, encompassing the deployment of precise munitions and supplementary intelligence.”
This declaration followed reports of at least ten explosions at the Hamas headquarters in Doha. Online footage indicates significant damage to the building. Numerous media outlets, citing Hamas sources, reported that the strike targeted the group’s negotiating team, which was engaged in discussions concerning the most recent US proposal for a cessation of hostilities with Israel.
Qatar denounced the “cowardly Israeli attack,” characterizing the targeted location as “residential buildings accommodating several members of the political bureau of the Hamas movement.”
Conflicting media reports, referencing internal sources, suggest that it remains uncertain if the assault achieved its intended objective. While some accounts imply that several prominent Hamas figures died in the attack, others assert that the group’s leadership emerged from the strike unscathed.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained that the strike against Hamas in Qatar was a unilateral action, with no other nations participating in the operation.
In a statement, it declared, “Today’s operation targeting the senior terrorist leaders of Hamas was an entirely independent Israeli undertaking. Israel initiated it, Israel executed it, and Israel assumes full responsibility.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the Israeli attack, calling it a “flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He informed reporters, “All involved parties must strive to achieve a permanent ceasefire, rather than undermining it.”
FURTHER DETAILS ARE PENDING