Israel bombs Qatar, making it the 7th country Israel has attacked
Unprecedented attack on US-aligned Gulf capital sparks global outrage, raises questions over U.S. base security
DOHA, Qatar (MNTV) – Israel launched unprecedented air strikes on Qatar’s capital Tuesday, targeting Hamas political leaders as they met in Doha to discuss a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza.
The attack, the first on a Gulf state by Israel, sent shockwaves through the region and drew immediate condemnation from Qatar and other Arab governments.
Explosions ripped through Doha’s Katara district in the afternoon, striking residential buildings housing members of Hamas’s political bureau.
Local media reported at least a dozen air strikes, with smoke rising over areas near embassies and diplomatic compounds. Footage broadcast by Al-Arabiya showed plumes of smoke, while Israeli journalists circulated images of the aftermath online.
According to Israeli broadcaster Kan, the targets included Khalil al-Hayya, the acting head of Hamas’s political bureau, and Khaled Meshaal, a former bureau chief who has long been based in Doha. Other senior Hamas officials, including Zaher Jabarin, were also in the area. A Hamas source told Al Jazeera that all leaders survived.
The Israeli military said it carried out the strikes in coordination with Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency.
“We conducted a targeted strike a short while ago against the top leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the army said in a statement. It accused the officials of directing Hamas’s operations for years and of bearing responsibility for the October 7 attack on Israel.
The military added that it used “precision weaponry” and “additional intelligence information” to limit civilian casualties. Analysts, however, noted that similar claims have accompanied Israel’s repeated strikes in Gaza, which have killed thousands of civilians.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry denounced the attack as a “cowardly assault” and a “blatant violation of all international laws and norms.” Spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said the strikes endangered the security of Qatari citizens and residents, warning that Doha “will not tolerate reckless Israeli behavior and its continued tampering with regional security.”
The ministry confirmed investigations are underway at the highest level, stressing that the attack not only targeted Hamas leaders but also threatened Qatar’s sovereignty at a moment when the country is leading mediation to end the Gaza war.
Context of ceasefire talks
The air strikes came as Hamas’s negotiating delegation met in Doha to discuss a U.S.-backed ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. Israel said on Monday it had accepted the U.S. outline, while Hamas had expressed willingness to return to talks after receiving new ideas from Washington.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered the proposal, had warned Hamas on social media: “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.”
The attack has also raised doubts about the effectiveness of U.S. security guarantees.
Qatar hosts more than 8,000 American troops at al-Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East and the regional headquarters of U.S. Central Command. The base has been critical for U.S. operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
Observers now question what role the base plays if it cannot protect the very state that hosts it. Only weeks ago, Iran fired missiles at al-Udeid in retaliation for U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities, underscoring Qatar’s vulnerability despite heavy U.S. military presence.
7th country under Israeli attack
The Doha strikes mark the 7th country Israel has attacked in recent weeks. Its forces have bombed Gaza daily, while carrying out air strikes in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and most recently Tunisia, where a Gaza-bound aid flotilla was hit by a suspected drone.
Last July, Israel assassinated Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. In October, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s military and political leader in Gaza, was killed in a firefight. Israeli officials have repeatedly vowed to eliminate Hamas leadership “wherever they are.”
Tuesday’s operation demonstrates that Israel is now willing to extend that campaign into Gulf capitals — a dramatic escalation with implications for regional diplomacy, especially as Qatar has hosted multiple rounds of indirect negotiations between Israel, Hamas and U.S. envoys.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office insisted the Doha strike was “a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full accountability.”
But Israeli Channel 12 reported the action was pre-coordinated with Washington and approved by Trump. The U.S. administration has not confirmed the report.
Analysts say the attack undermines Qatar’s role as a trusted mediator and risks destabilizing a Gulf region that has largely avoided direct Israeli strikes. “This is a game-changer,” one regional security expert told MNTV. “Israel is signaling that no place is off-limits, not even capitals aligned with the U.S.”
The attack also comes amid Israeli preparations for a new offensive on Gaza City, where evacuation orders have been issued to civilians. Observers warn that striking Hamas leaders abroad at such a sensitive moment could derail efforts to halt the war and inflame tensions between Israel and key Arab states.
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