Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In a stunning escalation of its campaign against Hamas, Israel has carried out a precision strike targeting senior members of the group in the Qatari capital of Doha, marking the first known Israeli military operation on Qatari soil. The unprecedented move has drawn strong condemnation from Qatar and has sparked diplomatic shockwaves across the Middle East.
According to an Israeli official, the operation was aimed at Hamas leadership figures residing in Doha, where the group has maintained a political bureau and external headquarters for years. The official confirmed that the United States was informed in advance of the operation.
Eyewitnesses in Doha reported hearing multiple explosions late Tuesday, with at least five blasts shaking parts of the capital. One foreign resident, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the situation, said the explosions were loud enough to sound “as if they were in my backyard.”
Shortly after the incident, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement claiming responsibility, saying it had conducted a “precise strike” against “senior leadership” of Hamas in coordination with the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency.
“These Hamas leaders have for years orchestrated terrorist operations and were directly responsible for the brutal October 7th massacre,” the IDF stated, referring to the deadly cross-border attack that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
The military also revealed the code name for the operation: “Summit of Fire.” Details about casualties or the specific identities of the targeted individuals have not been officially disclosed.
Qatar Condemns Strike as “Criminal Assault”
The Qatari government responded swiftly and angrily to the incident. In a strongly worded statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari called the attack a “cowardly” and “criminal assault” that represents a “blatant violation of international laws and norms.”
“The State of Qatar emphasizes that it will not tolerate this reckless and irresponsible Israeli behavior,” Al Ansari said in a statement posted on social media platform X. “This is not only a violation of our sovereignty, but a direct threat to the safety of Qataris and residents in the country.”
The Qatari government confirmed that residential buildings housing members of the Hamas political bureau were the target of the attack.
Israel: “A Wholly Independent Operation”
In a separate statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Israel made clear that the strike in Doha was conducted without foreign assistance.
“This was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” the statement said. “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
The bold strike on Qatari soil marks a dramatic expansion of the geographic scope of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas. It also raises significant concerns about diplomatic fallout, especially with Qatar, which has served as a key intermediary in ceasefire negotiations and the facilitation of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
U.S. Embassy Issues Shelter-in-Place Order
Following the strike, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued a shelter-in-place order for its personnel and advised American citizens in the country to remain indoors and monitor local news.
The White House and State Department have not yet commented publicly on the operation. However, Israeli media outlets have reported that former U.S. President Donald Trump, in recent private communications with Israeli officials, had given his “blessing” to the strikes just days after issuing what he allegedly called a “final warning” to Hamas leadership abroad.
Regional Fallout and Unanswered Questions
Tuesday’s strike marks the first confirmed instance of Israel targeting Hamas leadership outside of Gaza, Lebanon, or Syria and the first time a military operation has taken place within the borders of a Gulf state not directly involved in the conflict.
The attack raises urgent questions about the future of Qatari-Israeli relations, as well as the broader role of the Gulf in mediating the Israel-Hamas war. Qatar has long hosted Hamas’s political wing in Doha, serving as a neutral ground for backchannel diplomacy involving Israel, the United States, Egypt, and other actors.
Hamas had previously used Doha as a base for political negotiations and diplomacy, with its chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya reportedly meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in the capital just one day before the strike.
For now, it remains unclear how this dramatic escalation will affect ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire or facilitate hostage negotiations.
As of Wednesday morning, neither Hamas nor Qatari officials have confirmed whether any senior Hamas figures were killed or injured in the strike.
