Israel Targets Hamas Leadership in Qatar with Precision Strike

The IDF and Israel Security Agency (ISA) confirmed a targeted strike against senior Hamas leadership in Qatar Tuesday, marking the first time Israel has fallen military action in a non-enemy country in 45 years, during Operation Entebbe in 1976.

According to an official statement, the operation aimed at key terror figures who “have led the terrorist organization’s operations” and are “directly responsible for the brutal October 7th massacre.” The statement emphasizes that these leaders have been “orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel” for years.

The IDF and ISA underscored their efforts to minimize civilian harm, stating, “Prior to the strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence.” The operation reflects Israel’s ongoing commitment to dismantling Hamas, with the statement concluding, “The IDF and ISA will continue to operate with determination in order to defeat the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for the October 7th massacre.”

The Operation was officially dubbed “Fire Summit.”

According to Israeli media reports, the mission was prepared in Israel for several months, was accelerated in recent weeks after Hamas displayed increasing resistance to negotiations.

Throughout the planning stage, the IDF held weekly meetings to ensure both intelligence and operational readiness, according to Doron Kadosh reporting on Galei Tzahal. The Shin Bet later released footage from its special operations command center, which directed the joint effort between the Shin Bet and the IDF.

Present during the strike were Prime Minister Binyamin Netnyahu, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, Acting Shin Bet Chief S., Acting Deputy Chief M., and the IDF’s Intelligence Division head.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued an English-language statement clarifying that the mission was exclusively Israeli: “Israel initiated it, Israel carried it out, and Israel takes full responsibility for it.”

This operation followed warnings from IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who last month, after the assassination of Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaydah, stated that “the hand is still outstretched” and that Hamas leaders abroad would also be reached.

Israeli officials told i24NEWS they believe senior Hamas leaders were killed in the attack, though they stressed confirmation will take time. Amichai Stein noted that “no Arab country sheds a tear for the Hamas figures in Qatar who were killed, even if the messages mourning their deaths sound emotional.”

Following the attack, Netanyahu and Katz released a joint statement: “Yesterday, after the murderous attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza, the Prime Minister instructed all security agencies to prepare for the possibility of thwarting the leaders of Hamas, and the Defense Minister fully supported this proposal. Today at noon, in light of an operational opportunity, and in consultation with all heads of the defense establishment and with full backing, the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister decided to carry out the directive given last night to the IDF and the Shin Bet, and they did so in a precise and optimal manner. The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister emphasized that the action is completely justified in light of the fact that the Hamas leadership, which initiated and organized the October 7 massacre, has not since ceased launching murderous actions against the State of Israel and its citizens, including taking responsibility for yesterday’s murderous attack in Jerusalem.”

Below is a timeline of events:

11:25AM: U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson says he was unaware of Israel’s strike on Qatar and that “Hamas has to be eradicated.”

10:30 AM: Qatar suspends mediation efforts for Gaza deal until further notice.

Sources confirm to Saudi media the assassination of Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, Khaled Meshaal, and Nizar Awadallah.

Diplomatic source: Hamas received new Qatari proposal from Witkoff in Paris last week; Qatari PM met the Hamas leadership yesterday with plans to meet again today in Turkey to discuss. But….

Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia the UAE and UN condemned the strike.

Qatar: “Israelis undermined peace hopes, prolonging war and complicating hostage efforts.”

9:40 AM: The Qatari Foreign Ministry responded to the attack: “We strongly condemn the cowardly Israeli attack on residential buildings housing several members of Hamas’s political bureau in Doha. This criminal attack constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.”

9:30 AM: Israel struck Hamas leadership in Qatar following a green light from the US.

9:15 AM: Vidoe shows the moments of the targeted strike.

According to reports, Hamas senior leaders Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, Khaled Mashal, Mohammed Darwish, and Ezzat al-Rishq were all in the same location at the time of the attack.

The strike hit the Hamas negotiation team discussing Trump’s ceasefire proposal, a senior Hamas official tells Al Jazeera.

9:00 AM: Photos circulating on X show smoke rising from the strike location in Qatar, though no official casualty reports have been released (yet). The operation marks a bold move by Israel to target Hamas leadership abroad, raising questions about the broader implications for regional stability. This also may have been coordinated between the US and Qatar.

In New York City, the NYPD wrote that they are “tracking the situation unfolding in Qatar. Out of an abundance of caution, we’re deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners. We’ll continue to monitor for any potential impact to NYC.”