Israel dramatically broadened its military reach on Tuesday, launching a high-profile airstrike against senior Hamas officials in Qatar—a rare move that signals a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. The strike targeted the Gulf nation long considered a safe haven and political base for the Palestinian Islamist group.
The attack drew swift condemnation from the Qatari government for the breach of international law. Doha, along with Egypt, has played a key mediation role in ceasefire discussions aimed at halting nearly two years of fighting in Gaza.
According to Hamas sources, an evacuation order was also issued in Gaza City amid Israel’s intensified military campaign to dismantle the group’s operational capacity within the enclave. The strike in Qatar reportedly targeted Khalil al-Hayya, a top Hamas negotiator and the organization’s Gaza chief in exile, Israeli officials told Reuters.
The airstrike comes just one day after a deadly attack by Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, left six people dead at a Jerusalem bus stop. This new surge in violence threatens to derail already-fragile ceasefire talks, particularly as the mediation efforts have been headquartered in the Gulf state.
The United Arab Emirates, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, joined Qatar in sharply criticizing the raid, labelling the Israeli move as both “blatant and cowardly.”
