Hamas Leadership Escapes Israeli Strikes While Confirming Casualties in Doha

Mon Sep 15 2025 15:00:11 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a recent Israeli airstrike on Hamas leaders in Doha, the group claims its leadership survived but acknowledges the deaths of five members amidst rising tensions and international condemnation.

The Palestinian group Hamas has reported that an Israeli airstrike in Doha aimed at its leadership resulted in the deaths of five members while the leadership allegedly survived. The strike, seen as a targeted assassination attempt, occurred during discussions regarding a ceasefire proposal. Israel's Prime Minister justified the attack as necessary due to Hamas's role in previous attacks, leading to widespread condemnation from Qatar and other nations. The international community has expressed concern over the implications for ongoing peace efforts.

The Palestinian armed group Hamas has stated that five of its members were killed in an Israeli air strike in Qatar's capital, while claiming that an attempt to assassinate its negotiating team was unsuccessful.

According to Hamas, the negotiating team was meeting to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza when a series of explosions caused significant damage to the residential compound where they were gathered.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the airstrike as fully justified, asserting that it targeted senior Hamas leaders responsible for the attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war. The Qatari government condemned the strike, labeling it a cowardly action and a flagrant violation of international law.

Witnesses reported hearing multiple explosions, which were later confirmed by Israeli authorities, stating they aimed for Hamas leaders. The incident followed the killing of six Israelis in separate attacks attributed to Hamas, which expounded Israeli motives for the preemptive strike.

The White House remarked that President Trump considered the events unfortunate but deemed the elimination of Hamas a vital objective. Subsequently, tensions escalated as Qatar condemned the action, and critics within Israel expressed concern for the safety of hostages still held in Gaza.

A Hamas statement decried the airstrike as a heinous crime and reiterated the failure to assassinate key members of the negotiating delegation. The situation raises fresh challenges to ceasefire talks and the overall peace process in the region.

As the international community reacts with widespread denunciation of Israel's actions, there are fears of further escalation across the Middle East. Calls for negotiation and conflict resolution continue amidst a backdrop of increasing violence and instability.