Israel strikes Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar condemns attack

New Delhi, Sep 09: Israel has confirmed that it carried out an airstrike targeting senior Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital, Doha, the BBC reported.

The Israeli military said the attack was a “precise strike” against Hamas officials. A Hamas representative told the BBC that members of the group’s negotiating team, based in Doha, had been targeted. Images from the scene showed smoke rising above buildings in the Qatari capital following the strike.

Qatar’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the attack. Its spokesperson, Dr Majed Al Ansari, said the strike hit a residential property “where a number of members of Hamas’ political bureau reside in the Qatari capital, Doha.”

Dr Ansari described the strike as a “flagrant violation of international law” and a “serious threat” to people in Qatar. “The State of Qatar strongly condemns this attack, and affirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour and the continuous tampering with the security of the region and any action aimed at its security and sovereignty,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.