DOHA/JERUSALEM/GAZA/TEHERAN/MADRID/SANAA/WASHINGTON- Israel launched an unprecedented airstrike in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday, targeting a building used by senior Hamas officials in what Israeli authorities described as an attempt to assassinate leaders of the group.
Hamas said Tuesday evening that the attack occurred while its delegation was discussing a new ceasefire proposal presented by US President Donald Trump. According to the group, the negotiating team survived, but six others were killed.
The movement identified the Palestinian victims as Jihad Lubad, office director of Hamas political bureau member Khalil al-Hayya; Hammam al-Hayya, son of Khalil al-Hayya; and escorts Abdullah Abdulwahid, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmed al-Mamlouk. It also confirmed the death of Badr Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi, a member of Qatar's Internal Security Force.
Israeli authorities did not immediately confirm who was killed. In a joint statement, the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency said the strike targeted Hamas leaders "directly responsible for the Oct 7 massacre" and used "precise munitions and intelligence" to limit civilian harm.
ALSO READ: Israel orders mass evacuation of Gaza City ahead of expanded assault
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "a wholly independent Israeli operation". "Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," he said in a statement released by his office.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters later in the day that the Trump administration was informed by the US military that Israel was striking Hamas targets, "which very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar".
Leavitt said that Trump "immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform Qatar of the impending attack, which he did".
However, Qatar denied having prior knowledge, calling such claims "baseless". "The call from a US official came during the sound of explosions caused by the Israeli attack in Doha," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said in a post on X. The ministry condemned the strike as a "serious threat" to citizens and residents, a violation of sovereignty, and announced the suspension of ongoing negotiations.
Eyewitnesses reported loud explosions and plumes of smoke rising over the Qatari capital. Qatar's Interior Ministry said specialized teams had secured the site and that "the situation is safe".
An Israeli official, speaking with Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said more than a dozen warplanes took part and at least 10 bombs were dropped on the building. Preparations for the strike had been ongoing for months, the official said.
Preparations for the operation were accelerated on Monday, "following the deadly attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza," Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement. They referred to a shooting attack by two Palestinian men from the occupied West Bank at a Jerusalem bus stop that killed six and a clash in Gaza that killed four Israeli troops on Monday. They said the airstrikes were carried out "precisely and optimally".
In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents families of hostages still held in Gaza, said they were following developments in Doha "with deep concern and grave fear".
"The chance of bringing them back is now more uncertain than ever, with one absolute certainty -- their time is running out," the families said. "It is time to end the war."
"I am trembling with fear," Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is among the hostages, wrote on social media. She said the attack could destroy the chances for a deal and accused Netanyahu of repeatedly "sabotaging the deal".
READ MORE: Israel rejects Hamas' truce offer, vows to press on with Gaza offensive
Hamas said the attack occurred while its delegation was discussing a new US proposal presented by Trump, accusing Netanyahu's government of attempting to sabotage international mediation.
The group condemned the strike as "an assault on the sovereignty of Qatar, which, along with Egypt, has played a central role in ceasefire and prisoner exchange mediation," and held Washington "jointly responsible due to its continued support for Israel".
It stressed that "this cowardly assassination attempt will not alter our positions or demands," reiterating calls for an immediate halt to Israeli operations in Gaza, a withdrawal of Israeli forces, a prisoner exchange deal, humanitarian relief, and reconstruction.
Earlier Tuesday, the Israeli army and Shin Bet security agency said in a joint statement that the Israeli Air Force had conducted "a focused strike targeting the top leadership of Hamas in Qatar".
Strike response, mediation
Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said here Tuesday that Qatar will adopt a "comprehensive" approach to respond to the Israeli strike on Doha earlier in the day and deter future attacks.
Qatar reserves the right to respond to Israel and will not tolerate any violations of its sovereignty, he told a press conference.
ALSO READ: Israeli PM declares 'decisive stage' in Gaza war as reservists protest offensive
The country is also forming a team led by Qatari Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi to pursue legal actions in response to the Israeli strike, he said.
Mediation on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in Gaza will continue, but no talks are underway currently after Israel's Doha strike, he added.
'Not by White House'
Trump said that the decision to attack Hamas in the Qatari capital was made by Netanyahu, not by the White House.
"This was a decision made by (Israeli) Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump said he immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending Israeli attack when notified by the US military on Tuesday morning, but "unfortunately, too late to stop the attack".
By the time Witkoff reached them, the Israeli bombs had already hit their target in Qatar, reported local US media outlets, citing a US official.
"Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America's goals," Trump reiterated in his post.
He said that he views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels "very badly about the location of the attack," but calls eliminating Hamas "a worthy goal".
READ MORE: Hamas open for talks amid Trump warning
Trump confirmed that he spoke to the emir and prime minister of Qatar following the attack, and "assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil," adding that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was directed to finalize the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Qatar.
One day before the strike, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met with Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Miami, but didn't say anything about the attack plan, it said, citing a source with direct knowledge.
The strike in Qatar reportedly took place not far from the biggest US military base in the region. Hamas said that its negotiating delegation survived the strike, though six were killed, including members of the group's escorts and a Qatari security officer.
Gaza conflict new measures
The Spanish government on Tuesday approved a series of measures in response to Israel's ongoing military actions in Gaza, including restrictions on arms trading, transport, and products linked to illegal settlements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has announced.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Albares said the new measures included consolidating an existing arms embargo, banning the transit of fuel shipments destined for the Israeli armed forces through Spanish ports, and denying access to Spanish airspace for state aircraft carrying defense material bound for Israel.
READ MORE: Israel weighing US ceasefire proposal tied to hostage release, official says
The government also approved the prohibition of products originating from illegal Israeli settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, the limitation of consular services to Spanish citizens residing in such settlements, and increased support for the Palestinian Authority. This support includes additional Spanish troops to the European Union Border Assistance Mission in Rafah, alongside a boost in humanitarian aid and cooperation for Gaza.
Albares stressed that the measures reflect Spain's independent policy and the will of its citizens.
Deadly attack responsibility
Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a shooting attack in Jerusalem that killed at least six people a day earlier.
In a statement, al-Qassam said two of its members, Muthanna Naji Omar and Mohammed Bassam Taha, carried out the attack "in response to the occupation's ongoing actions against the Palestinian people". The group said both men were killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces.
Israeli police said two gunmen opened fire at a bus stop and then at a bus near Ramot Junction, close to the Ramot settlement neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Security personnel and a civilian shot back, killing the attackers at the scene.
Demolitions, permit cuts
Yemen's Houthi group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for attacks on "sensitive" targets near Jerusalem, Ramon Airport in southern Israel, and two sites in Eilat.
READ MORE: Yemen's Houthis claim responsibility for drone attacks on Israel
In a statement aired by the group's al-Masirah TV, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said two operations targeted "several sensitive sites" around Jerusalem and Eilat, adding that the attacks were carried out in support of the Palestinians and had achieved their objectives.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it had intercepted a missile fired by the Houthis on Tuesday night.
