Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Senior sources within Hamas have denied recent rumors suggesting that members of the movement’s political delegation sustained serious injuries during an Israeli strike that targeted their residence in the Qatari capital, Doha, last Tuesday.
Sources confirmed that all delegation members are in good condition and that any injuries sustained were minor, requiring no intensive medical treatment. The disappearance of senior Hamas figures from public view since the incident, they explained, is the result of strict Qatari security protocols and ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the attack.
According to the sources, Qatari security agencies responsible for safeguarding Hamas leaders residing in the country instructed them to remain in secure locations and limit all public communications. Leaders across various countries where Hamas maintains a presence were also ordered to shut down their official communication devices, store them away from residential locations, and adhere to enhanced security measures amid growing concerns over the possibility of further Israeli operations.
Notably, the sources alleged direct involvement of the United States in the recent strike, not merely through providing political cover or a “green light” to Israel, but through possible participation in both planning and execution stages. They pointed to a series of diplomatic interactions that occurred shortly before the strike as potential indicators of this involvement.
According to these insiders, Qatari mediators had received urgent communications from U.S. officials in the days leading up to the attack, pressing them to secure an immediate response from Hamas to the latest ceasefire proposal put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Qatari side subsequently extended an invitation to Hamas negotiators who had been operating outside Qatar for over two months due to security concerns to return for an internal meeting and formulate a formal reply.
“This sequence of events, from American pressure to the sudden timing of the attack, strongly suggests U.S. complicity in orchestrating the operation,” said one Hamas source.
In a revealing interview with CNN two days ago, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that both the Americans and the Israelis were fully aware of the details surrounding the Hamas meeting in Doha. “There was nothing secretive about it,” he said, rejecting accusations that Qatar was providing a haven for terrorism. He described the Israeli strike as an act of “betrayal” against Qatar, which has played a prominent role in regional mediation.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian official stated that Cairo has no plans to alter its current mediation role regarding efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. Nor has it considered hosting Hamas leaders or facilitating new negotiation meetings on its soil.
Responding to recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who declared that “no Hamas leader is safe anywhere” the Egyptian source dismissed the likelihood of Israel replicating the Qatar strike in Egypt. “The situation is entirely different,” the official said, citing Egypt’s complex diplomatic and security relationships with Israel, as well as its internationally recognized role in regional mediation. “Any such act on Egyptian soil would be tantamount to a declaration of war.”
The Israeli strike in Doha, and the subsequent fallout, mark a significant escalation in both the military and diplomatic dimensions of the Gaza conflict. The incident has further strained already tense relations among key regional players and raises serious questions about the future of international efforts to broker peace.
