Israel strikes Hamas leadership in Qatari capital: Live updates

Israel launched a deadly attack on Hamas leadership in Qatar, in an assault that threatens to plunge the region into a wider conflict. 

Israel media, citing a senior Israeli official, said the attack was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Khalil al-Hayya, its Gaza chief. 

Hamas has since claimed its negotiating delegation survived the airstrike, however six others were killed, including al-Hayya’s son and a Qatari security forces member.

Doha immediately condemned the ‘cowardly’ attack, described as a ‘flagrant violation to all international law’.

The US claimed forewarned Qatar ahead of the airstrike, however Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said they had told them ten minutes after the attack. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters today Israel had launched an ‘unfortunate’ airstrike on its ‘strong ally and friend’ Qatar. 

This live blog has now closed.

Thank you for following our coverage on Israel’s airstrikes on the Qatari capital of Doha.

For more coverage head over to the Daily Mail website.

Israel’s airstrikes on Doha – what we know so far:

  • Israel carried out unprecedented strikes in Qatar today, targeting Hamas’ leadership as they met to discuss Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasfire deal.
  • Hours after the attack, Benjamin Netanyahu urged Gazans to accept Donald Trump’s peace plan, saying it would bring an immediate end to the war.
  • Hamas have since claimed none of their leadership were killed in the attack, however, there were six casualties.
  • Of the six casualties were the son of Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas boss and top negotiator, and a member of Qatar’s Internal Security Force.
  • White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said US diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff had warned Qatar about the strikes beforehand.
  • While Qatar had condemned Israel’s ‘cowardly attack’ on the Hamas headquarters in Doha, it also claimed US forewarning them of an attack was not true.
  • Sir Keir Starmer has denounced the airstrikes launched by Israel saying they ‘violate[d] Qatar’s sovereignty and risk further escalation across the region.’
  • The EU said Israel has breached international law as well as Qatar’s territorial integrity with its airstrikes.
  • Qatar ambassador to the UN, Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Than said her country will ‘not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior’ following today’s airstrikes.

VIDEO: Blasts heard in Doha as Israel confirms it launched operation

WATCH: Qatar Prime Minister disputes White House’s forewarning claims

British teacher says blasts in Qatar brought back a ‘sense of panic, worry and concern’

A British teacher who workes in Doha believed something was wrong when she heard the airstrikes in the Qatari capital.

When another blast hit, she soon realised it was explosives.

He said the blast brought back a ‘sense of panic, worry and concern’ to him.

“You could see people freeze in the car park, the birds are all going crazy, [and] you realise you’re not alone and right to be worried,” he told the BBC.

‘It’s a worry and the second time in a few months. There’s always risks when you’re working away from home, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday in response to Israel’s strikes targeting Hamas officials in Qatar.

The meeting, which is scheduled for 3.00 pm in New York, was requested by Algeria and Pakistan, among others, the diplomatic sources said on Tuesday.

PICTURED: Plumes of smoke are seen rising from the Israeli strike site

Plumes of smoke rise from the site of an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders, in Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025, in this screen grab taken from a video. Obtained by Reuters/via REUTERS NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.

Israeli strikes suggest a ‘real fraying of trust’ with the US

Israel not telling the United States about its plans for air strikes in Qatar suggests a ‘real fraying of the trust’ between the two nations, a senator has said.

Democrat Senator Chris Coons told the BBC: ‘It suggests a real fraying of the trust between Israel and the United States, that neither the senior leadership of Congress nor President Trump was notified in advance.

‘This has long been a very close relationship, but there’s been more and more strain in recent months as many of us in Congress have called for an end to the war in Gaza, for a ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas.’

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) walks through the Senate Subway in the U.S. Capitol on January 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Senate confirmed Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary in a 68-29 vote. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Doha strike gives Israeli hostage families ‘deep concern’

A group representing the families of Israeli hostages has said they have ‘deep concern’ over the air strikes launched in Qatar.

A statement by the group reads:

A grave fear now hangs over the price that the hostages may pay.

The chance of bringing them back now faces greater uncertainty than ever before, with one thing of absolute certainty – their time is running out.

The price for the 48 hostages could be unbearable. The living hostages could be murdered at any moment and the deceased could disappear forever.

Doha residents say airstrikes sounded like a ‘demolition ball’

Residents in Doha recalled hearing the moment the Israeli airstrike hit the Qatari capital.

Asma who works in the West Bay area of the city told the BBC: ‘It sounded like a demolition ball’.

She said her mind went ‘straight back to the airbase strike’, where Iran attacked a US military base in the capital.

‘I saw the smoke and decided to call my kids [to] make sure they were home, and left straight away,” she said.

‘Everybody felt it in all different parts of Doha’, she said remarking how it was “quite worrying” how a central area of the city was hit.

Sir Keir Starmer condemns Isreali airstrike as ‘flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty’

Sir Keir Starmer told the Emir of Qatar that Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha was ‘a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty’ as they spoke over the phone on Tuesday evening.

Giving a readout of their call, a Downing Street spokesperson said: ‘The Prime Minister spoke to the Emir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, this evening.

‘He reiterated his condemnation of the strike by Israel in Doha today and gave his condolences for the death of a Qatari security officer killed in the attack.

‘He added that Israel’s action represents a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and risks fuelling further escalation when the focus should be ending the devastating cycle of violence in the region.

‘The Prime Minister underscored his gratitude at the indispensable role Qatar has played in trying to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. He welcomed the Emir’s determination to continue with peace talks and added that the UK stands ready to do everything possible to support his efforts.’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks during a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, in 10 Downing Street, London. Picture date: Tuesday September 9, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Joshua Bratt/The Times /PA Wire

Police cordons remain in place while helicopters fly over the scene

Roads heading to the airstrike site remain cordone off, as helicopters have been flying over the scene for several hours, according to the BBC.

A heavy security presence remains after several explosions in the city earlier today.

It is a residential area, with luxury hotels, multiple embassies, as well as the Qatari parliment only a 15-minute drive away.

Qatar has previously denounced the Israeli missile strike as targeting ‘one of the residential headquarters of Hamas’.

However, residents view it as a shocking attack on an important part of Doha.

People sit to enjoy a nightly view of the seafront corniche in Doha on September 9, 2025. World leaders, including the US President, sharply criticised Israel for targeting of the Palestinian Hamas movement leaders in Qatar, a Western ally which has hosted multiple rounds of Gaza ceasefire talks. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli-Russian hostage freed from Iraq, Donald Trump says

Israeli-Russian researcher, Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was taken hostage in Iraq after travelling to the country as part of her doctoral studies at Princeton University, has been freed, Donald Trump has claimed.

He said on Truth Social:

I am pleased to report that Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton Student, whose sister is an American Citizen, was just released by Kata-ib Hezbollah (MILITANT Hezbollah), and is now safely in the American Embassy in Iraq after being tortured for many months.

I will always fight for JUSTICE, and never give up.

HAMAS, RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!’

Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov is kidnapped in Iraq. 12269163 Princeton University doctoral student - an Israeli-Russian citizen - was abducted by radical Iran-backed militia group while doing work for the school in Baghdad three months ago

Qatari Prime Minister has said his country would ‘spare no effort’ to stop the war in Gaza

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said Qatar would ‘spare no effort’ to stop the war in the Gaza Strip.

He added that ‘concerning the current talks, I don’t think there is anything valid now after we see an attack like that.’

Calling out Benjamine Netanyahu by name, he said: ‘These barbaric actions only reflect the barbarism of this person, who is dragging the region to a place where it unfortunately cannot be repaired.’

He also denied the U.S. had given adequate warning, saying Qatar was only informed about the attack 10 minutes after it began.

The first call came from a US official at 3.56pm he said, while the attack transpired at 3.46pm.

TOPSHOT - Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani addresses a press conference following Israeli strikes in Doha on September 9, 2025. Following the attack, world leaders, including the US President, sharply criticised Israel for targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, a Western ally which has hosted multiple rounds of Gaza ceasefire talks. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump says ‘unfortunate’ Israeli airstrike is ‘an opportunity for peace’

US President Trump posted the following statement to his Truth Social account:

This morning, the Trump Administration was notified by the United States Military that Israel was attacking Hamas which, very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha, the Capital of Qatar.

This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me. Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals.

However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal. I immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did, however, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack.

I view Qatar as a strong Ally and friend of the U.S., and feel very badly about the location of the attack. I want ALL of the Hostages, and bodies of the dead, released, and this War to END, NOW!

I also spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu after the attack. The Prime Minister told me that he wants to make Peace. I believe this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for PEACE.

I also spoke to the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar, and thanked them for their support and friendship to our Country. I assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil.

I have directed Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to finalize the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Qatar. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’

(FILES) US President Donald Trump (R) listens as US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at an event on

Houthis claim they targeted ‘several sensitive targets around Jerusalem’

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that multi-warhead ballistic missiles targeted “several sensitive targets around occupied Jerusalem.”

In a prerecorded message on Tuesday, Saree said the group also sent three drones targeting Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport in southern Israel.

The Houthis hit the airport in a drone attack a few days earlier, briefly shutting the airspace.

Israeli authorities said one person was wounded in that attack, AP reported.

NATO member vows to support Qatar ‘with all its means’

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said his country will stand by Doha with ‘all its means’ following a phone call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The President’s office said: ‘President Erdogan stated that he condemns Israel’s attack, which aims to deepen the conflict, tension and instability in the region and constitutes a flagrant violation of the friendly and allied Qatar’s sovereignty.

‘Extending his condolences for those martyred in the nefarious attack, President Erdohan stressed that Turkey stands by the state and people of Qatar with all its means.

‘The two leaders agreed to continue working together for the immediate termination of the massacre in Gaza.’

ANKARA, TURKIYE - SEPTEMBER 08: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds a press conference after the Cabinet Meeting at Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkiye on September 08, 2025. (Photo by Muhammed Selim Korkutata/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Qatar will ‘not tolerate’ Israel’s ‘reckless behaviour’ following strike on Doha

Qatar ambassador to the UN, Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani told the diplomatic bloc that the country will ‘not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security.’

She wrote that an investigation into the attack is underway and that the state ‘is taking necessary measures to contain its repercussions.’

A letter written by bin Saif Al-Thani and obtained by AP read: ‘While the State of Qatar strongly condemns this assault, it confirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty.’

The ambassador has not asked for an emergency meeting with the United Nations Security Council, which is often done following major escalations.

Breaking:European Union declares Israel broke international law in Qatar airstrike

The EU said Israel’s strike could lead to further ‘escalated’ conflict in the Middle East this evening.

‘Today’s airstrike by Israel against Hamas leaders in Doha breaches international law and Qatar’s territorial integrity, and risks a further escalation of violence in the region,’ said Anouar El Anouni, a spokesperson for the European Commission.

‘Any escalation of the war in Gaza must be avoided — it is in no one’s interest. We will continue to support all efforts towards a ceasefire in Gaza.’

The EU has been deeply divided over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, as cities across Europe such as Amsterdam and Barcelona continue to call for a ceasefire.

European Union flag waving in the wind. Close up of Europe banner blowing, soft and smooth silk. Cloth fabric texture ensign background. Use it for national day and country occasions concept.; Shutterstock ID 1905197971; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Qatar will take ‘all necessary measures’ to protect itself

Donald Trump and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani have had a phone call.

According to the BBC, the Emir said President Donald Trump maintained the US’s solidarity and ‘strongly condemned the attack on its sovereignty.’

He told the President that the country considers Israel’s airstrikes to be a ‘reckless criminal attack.’

He added that his country ‘will take all necessary measures to protect its security and preserve its sovereignty’.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani gestures next to President Donald Trump at Al Udeid Air Base, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Far-right Israeli ministers and opposition rally behind Netanyahu

Far-right Israeli ministers have quickly rallied behind Israeli decision to launch a missile on Qatar today.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, expressed his thanks Benjamin Netanyahu and the rest of the government for what he described as a ‘brave decision’.

‘Jewish blood is no longer abandoned,’ he wrote.

Sanctioned Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said on social media that ‘a correct decision we made and perfect execution by the IDF and Shin Bet.’

Leader of the opposition Yair Lapid also joined them in what he described as an ‘exceptional operation’.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (R) visit the scene of a shooting at the Ramot road junction in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on September 8, 2025. Israel's emergency service said it received reports of more than a dozen people injured by gunfire on September 8, with police saying the assailants had been

Iran’s Foreign Minister condemned Israel’s attack on Doha ‘in the strongest terms’

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced today’s Israeli airstrikes while urging the UN and the international community to save the world from ‘unprecedented threats by the Israeli regime on the peace and security of the region.’

He was speaking at a news conference Tuesday after signing an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Cairo.

The agreement paves the way for cooperation, including resuming inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to AP news.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, at Tahrir Palace in Cairo, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Khaled Elfiqi)

Jeremy Corbyn says Israeli President Isaac Herzog should be in the Hague rather than a ‘flight to London’

Jeremy Corbyn said Israeli President Isaac Herzog should be in the Hague rather than on a ‘flight to London’, before adding that Israel had ‘lost all world respect’.

The former Labour leader said the Government was ‘welcoming’ Mr Herzog to the UK.

He sternly added: ‘He shouldn’t be on a flight to London, he should be on a flight to Amsterdam and from there to the Hague.’

Addressing protesters on Whitehall, the MP for Islington North said: ‘Unfortunately, it’s British weapons,

‘British planes and British bombs that are providing some as a wherewithal for Israel to commit these war crimes, so we say to the Government over there, you are just completely wrong on this.’

Discussing Israel’s strikes in Qatar, Mr Corbyn said: ‘They bombed Doha because there were negotiations going on which may well have concluded with a ceasefire almost immediately.

‘I also think that Israel’s desperate actions over the last few days, even over the last few hours, their reckless bombardment all over, they know they’ve lost all world support.

‘They’ve lost all world respect.’

Former Labour leader and Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn addressess campaigners from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign taking part in a protest outside Downing Street, London, to oppose the upcoming visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Picture date: Tuesday September 9, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

IN PICTURES: Israel’s airstrike on Qatar earlier today

See billow images of the billowing smoke following Israel’s airstrike on Qatar earlier today.

Smoke rises from an explosion, allegedly caused by an Israeli strike, in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (UGC via AP)

This frame grab taken from an AFPTV footage shows smoke billowing after explosions in Doha's capital Qatar on September 9, 2025. An Israeli military official told AFP that the military had carried out air strikes on Doha on September 9 in an operation targeting senior leaders of Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by Jacqueline PENNEY / AFPTV / AFP) (Photo by JACQUELINE PENNEY/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT - This frame grab taken from an AFPTV footage shows smoke billowing after explosions in Doha's capital Qatar on September 9, 2025. An Israeli military official told AFP that the military had carried out air strikes on Doha on September 9 in an operation targeting senior leaders of Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by Jacqueline PENNEY / AFPTV / AFP) (Photo by JACQUELINE PENNEY/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images)

Grabs: Israel targets Hamas leadership in attack on Qatar's Doha

DOHA, QATAR - SEPTEMBER 9: Security footage captures the moment of an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, on September 9, 2025. (Photo by Security Camera/Anadolu via Getty Images)

IDF say sirens sound throughout Jerusalem and Dead Sea due to Yemen missile

Exclusive:Ritz Carlton Qatar caught hosting Hamas and Iranian leaders before Israeli strikes rock Doha

By Elina Shirazi

Israeli warplanes unleashed airstrikes on Qatar‘s capital on Tuesday, targeting senior Hamas leaders who were gathered for clandestine meetings about the latest U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal for Gaza.

Where was their gathering place? This strike came just days after a photograph began circulating online—an unassuming image of a Ritz–Carlton meeting room: orange and green wallpaper, a centered abstract painting, water bottles, pens, neatly arranged flowers. It looked like any other business meeting.

What looked like any other corporate boardroom was actually the likely nerve center for Hamas.

According to United Against Nuclear Iran sources, the photo shows senior Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya meeting Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and his Tehran-based delegation inside the Doha Ritz-Carlton.

There’s no evidence Tuesday’s Israeli strikes targeted the Ritz specifically but the picture lended the freshest evidence the gathering was taking place.

READ MORE BELOW:

Sudan, Libya, and Morocco condemn Israel’s airstrike on the Qatari capital

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah condemned what he called Israel’s what ‘cowardly aggression’ following airstrikes in the Qatari capital today.

He said it violates international law whilst also underscoring the ‘largest genocide’ against the people in the Gaza Strip.

‘Every day, the importance of Arab and Islamic countries uniting to confront this aggression in all its forms becomes clearer, as well as the need to call on the international community to bear its responsibilities in immediately stopping these violations,’ he said in a post on X.

Sudan described the attack as ‘a blatant violation of Qatar’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty’.

They said it “undermines ongoing efforts to achieve security and stability in the region.’

Meanwhile, Morocco, which has links with both Israel and Qatar, continued to maintain its ‘full solidarity’ with Qatar today.

‘Morocco reiterates its full solidarity with Qatar against anything liable to jeopardize its security, its territorial integrity and the peace of its citizens and residents,’ Morocco’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Germany brands Israeli strike on Doha as ‘unacceptable’

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he’s very concerned about the safety of the hostages still held by Hamas following today’s airstrike..

Although Germany has been an ally to Israel, in recent months it has become increasingly critical of the country’s actions in war-torn Gaza.

‘Israel’s attack in Doha not only violates the territorial sovereignty of Qatar, but also endangers all our efforts for the release of the hostages,’ Wadephul said in a statement.

‘This strike is unacceptable,’ he added

He also voiced his worries about the lives of hostages currently held by Hamas, which includes German citizens, during a phone call with Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

Wadephul said he spoke to his Qatari counterpart and expressed his ‘solidarity’ and recognition of efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul speaks on stage during the Conference of Ambassadors at the German Foreign Ministry, in Berlin, Tuesday Sept. 9, 2025. (Ralf Hirschberger/Pool Photo via AP)

Qatar rejects White House claim that they were informed ahead of Israeli airstrike

Qatar’s foreign ministry has contradicted claims made by the US during a press office following the airstrikes today.

Earlier this evening, Karoline Leavitt said US special envoy Steve Witkoff had warned the Middle Eastern country of Israel’s impending attack.

However, Qatari spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said these claims were not true.

‘The communication received from one of the American officials came during the sound of explosions,’ he told Sky News.

WATCH: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reveals US informed Qatar ahead of Israeli strike on capital city

READ: White House Statement in full

The White House’s statement in full below:

This morning, the Trump administration was notified by the United States military that as Israel was attacking Hamas, which very unfortunately was located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar, unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace does not advance Israel or America’s goals.

However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal. President Trump immediately directed special envoy Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did. The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of this attack.

President Trump wants all of the hostages in Gaza and the bodies of the dead released in this war to end now. President Trump also spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu after the attack. The prime minister told President Trump that he wants to make peace and quickly.

President Trump believes this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for peace. The president also spoke to the emir and prime minister of Qatar and thanked them for their support and friendship to our country. He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Six killed in Israeli airstrikes on Doha are named for first time

Five of the six casualties, which includes a Qatari security force member as well as Al-Hayya’s son, have been named.

  • Humam Al-Hayya (Abu Yahya) – al-Hayya’s son
  • Jihad Labad (Abu Bilal) – director of al-Hayya’s office
  • Abdullah Abdul Wahid (Abu Khalil)
  • Moamen Hassouna (Abu Omar)
  • Ahmed Al-Mamluk (Abu Malik)

The sixth person killed was Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Humaidi – a member of Qatar’s internal security forces

Hamas holds US responsible after its negotiation team survives Israeli airstrikes in Doha

Hamas has said their negotiation team has survived Israel’s airstrike in Doha, however, six others have been killed.

They said in a statement: ‘We confirm the enemy’s failure to assassinate our brothers in the negotiating delegation.’

They added the missile ‘confirms beyond doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not want to reach any agreement’ on peace.

‘We hold the US administration jointly responsible with the occupation for this crime, due to its ongoing support for the aggression and crimes of the occupation against our people,” the statement added.

PICTURED: Hundreds of protesters descend on Downing Street ahead of Israeli President’s UK visit

Israel orders all one million Gaza City citizens to evacuate and warns it will ‘raze’ the strip if Hamas does not release all hostages

The IDF on Tuesday ordered Gaza City residents to evacuate ahead of a new offensive, after Israel warned it would ‘raze’ the strip if Hamas does not free the hostages it holds.

Residents of the city of one million Palestinians have been expecting an onslaught for weeks, since the Israeli government devised a plan to deal Hamas a fatal blow in what it says are the militant group’s last remaining strongholds.

‘I say to the residents of Gaza, take this opportunity and listen to me carefully: you have been warned – get out of there!’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

The evacuation orders caused panic and confusion among residents of the strip’s largest urban centre. Some said they would have no choice but to leave for the south, but most said they would stay as no other place was safe.

‘Despite the bombardment in the past week, I have resisted leaving, but now I will go to be with my daughter,’ said Um Mohammad, a 55-year-old mother of six.

Gazans have already been displaced several times since the war started in October 2023, moving between the north and the south of the coastal enclave, in a worsening humanitarian crisis that has led to starvation.

The Israeli military has instructed Gaza City residents to move to the southern Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, which it designated as ‘a humanitarian zone.’

US distances itself from ‘unfortunate’ Israeli attack on ‘strong ally’ Qatar

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Israel had launched anairstrike on its ‘strong ally and friend’ Qatar.

‘Hamas, very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha,’ she said.

‘Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the US that is working very hard in bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals.

‘However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.’

‘The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the US and feels very badly about the location of this attack,’ she added.

She also said during the press conference that the US received prior notice about the pending attack from Israel this morning.

In response, diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff passed along a warning to the Qataris, she said in a press conference today.

President Donald Trump also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the attack, Leavitt said, and ‘made his thoughts and concerns very clear.’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gestures during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Hundreds of pro-Palestine demonstrators have descend on Whitehall ahead of Israeli President’s UK visit

Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters have gathered on Whitehall opposite Downing Street ahead of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to the UK.

One protester had a sign which read ‘Isaac Herzog genocide defender not welcome here!’

Protesters, many of whom were waving Palestine flags, chanted ‘say it loud, say it clear, Isaac is not welcome here’ and ‘Keir Starmer shame on you, David Lammy shame on you’.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 9: Pro-Palestine supporters demonstrate near Downing Street on September 9, 2025 in London, England. The protest comes ahead of the Israeli president's meeting tomorrow with the British prime minister, who has threatened to recognise a Palestinian state if Israel does not meet certain conditions. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Keir Starmer faces Labour backlash as Government decides Israel has NOT committed genocide in Gaza – but minister says country’s president must answer ‘war crimes’ charge on UK visit

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a fresh backlash within Labour’s ranks after the Government ruled that Israel has not committed genocide in Gaza.

The Government said it had not concluded Israel is acting with the ‘intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group’.

It comes ahead of a controversial visit to the UK this week by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, which is expected to include a meeting with the Prime Minister.

Some Labour MPs have warned the Government should not be ‘rolling out the red carpet’ for Israel’s head of state due to its actions in Gaza.

Cabinet minister Wes Streeting this morning said Mr Herzog needs to answer for alleged war crimes committed by his country when he visits Britain.

The Health Secretary told Times Radio: ‘He needs to answer the allegations of war crimes, of ethnic cleansing and of genocide that are being levelled at the government of Israel.

‘He needs to explain how – when we have seen so much evidence of the atrocities being perpetrated by the Israeli army – how he can possibly claim that the IDF is the most moral army in the world.

Sir Keir Starmer condemns Israel’s airstrakes on Doha this evening

The UK Prime Minister issued the following statement on X:

Qatar’s interior ministry release a statement following airstrikes on the capital

Turkey accuses Israel has carrying out ‘terrorism as state policy’

Turkey has denounced Israel’s airstrikes on Doha today.

The country’s foreign ministry says the latest attacks show the Middle Eastern nation had adopted ‘expansionist politics in the region and terrorism’ as policy.

‘The targeting of the Hamas negotiating delegation while ceasefire talks continue shows that Israel does not aim to reach peace, but rather continue the war,’ the ministry said in a statement.

‘This situation is clear proof that Israel has adopted its expansionist politics in the region and terrorism as a state policy.’

The moment Israel bombs Hamas leaders as they discuss Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal in Qatar: Building blows up as IDF unleashes Operation Summit of Fire, sparking fury across Middle East

By James Clark Reynolds and Olivia Christie

This is the moment Israel carried out unprecedented strikes in Qatar, targeting Hamas‘ leadership as they met to discuss Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal.

Footage filmed in Doha today showed a large explosion and thick black smoke billowing from a building as Israel carried out airstrikes in the Qatari capital.

The IDF said that it and the Israel Security Agency, Shin Bet, had ‘conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership’ of Hamas, while Doha condemned the ‘cowardly’ attack, described as a ‘flagrant violation to all international law’.

On Tuesday afternoon, Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would end the war in Gaza immediately if Hamas accepts Trump proposal

He also warned that terrorist leaders were no longer immune anywhere – as he said Israel had delivered ‘great blows to axis of evil’.

Netanyahu said in a televised address: ‘The days are over when terror leaders can enjoy immunity of any kind…I won’t allow that kind of immunity to exist.’

‘We are in the midst of a campaign to defeat Hamas and release all of the hostages. We have delivered great blows to all parts of the axis of evil,’ Netanyahu added.

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told Israeli media the attack was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Khalil al-Hayya, its Gaza chief.

A Hamas source said that the Israeli strikes targeted officials during a meeting to discuss Donald Trump‘s ceasefire proposals. Negotiators were reportedly hit, and explosions rocked a Hamas compound, but a source said all attending survived.

A member of Qatar’s security forces was killed in Israeli strikes

A member of Qatra’s security forces has been killed in the airstrikes launched by Israel in Doha, the country’s interior ministry has said today.

Earlier, it was confirmed the son of Hamas chief, Khalil Al-Hayya was also killed in the blast.

WATCH: United Chief Antonio Guterres has condemned Israel’s strikes on Qatar

UN boss Guterres has denounced tonight’s air strikes today.

Breaking:Airstrikes launched from Yemen towards Israel, IDF says

An airstrike has been launched towards Israel from Yemen, an Israeli military spokesperson said.

They said defence systems were working to stop, they said, according to Sky News.

Houthis in Yemen, who are linked with Iran and its proxies, have fired missiles at Israel several times during the conflict in what they state is solidarity with Gazans

The terrorists who live in luxury: How Hamas billionaires live in marble-floored mansions and luxury hotels while profiting from misery and terror in poverty-stricken Gaza

By Imogen Garfinkel

The Israeli army announced Tuesday that the Air Force launched a precise strike on Hamas’s senior leadership in Qatar, with the Palestinian group claiming the IDF targeted negotiators.

Several explosions were heard in Doha, the Qatari capital, this afternoon with sources saying that the attack targetted Hamas’s headquarters while a discussion was underway there on a U.S. ceasefire proposal.

Israel confirmed that it targetted top official Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas’s negotiating team, in the attack. Other senior figures understood to be in Qatar include Khaled Mashal, Zaher Jabarin, Mohammad Ismail Darwish, Mousa Abu Marzouk, Hussam Badran, Tahar Anunu and Nizar Awadallah.

While conditions in the rubble-strewn Gaza Strip continue to deteriorate after more than 700 days of war, senior Hamas officials including Mashal and Marzook have been enjoying a life of luxury in Qatar.

Mashal is the head of the group’s political bureau abroad who, alongside Hamas senior Marzouk, has a networth of more than $3billion, according to the Embassy of Israel in the US.

The exorbitant wealth of the seniors in the Palestinian group may raise eyebrows when considering the everyday suffering in the Strip, where nearly 12,000 children under five years were identified as having acute malnutrition in July, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Conditions in the territory have long been dire, with Gaza referred to by some as the world’s ‘largest open air prison’.

Even before the outbreak of war in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 terror attack on Israel, half of Palestinians living in Gaza depended on food supplied by the United Nations.

READ MORE:

Israeli Prime Minister has told Gazans war can end if Hamas accepts the US’s proposal

Netanyahu has said the conflict in Gaza could be ‘ended immediately’ if Hamas accepted US President Donald Trump’s proposals.

‘Stand up for your rights and for your future. Make peace with us, and accept president Trump’s proposal,’ he said.

Over the weekend, Hamas said it was on board with ‘some ideas’ about how a ceasefire agreement in the war-torn conclave can be reached.

Earlier, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: ‘Everyone wants the Hostages HOME. Everyone wants this War to end! The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well.”

‘I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!’

Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza, British Government says

The UK Government does not believe Israel‘s actions in the Gaza strip constitute genocide, a letter from the Foreign Office has said.

Previously, the Labour Government said it was a question for the courts – not a national government – if Israel had committed a genocide.

But last week, a letter to the international development committee from the then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy showed a shift in position.

In the correspondence, seen by The Times, Mr Lammy said an assessment conducted by the Foreign Office found Israel’s actions in Palestine were not genocide.

The letter, which was sent ahead of Sir Keir Starmer‘s cabinet reshuffle following Angela Rayner‘s resignation, said: ‘As per the Genocide Convention, the crime of genocide occurs only where there is specific “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group”.

‘The government has not concluded that Israel is acting with that intent.’

This is the first time the UK Government has explicitly confirmed that it does not believe what is transpiring in Gaza is a genocide.

Previously in May, Hamish Falconer, Minister for the Middle East, said to MPs that the government’s position was that ‘any formal determination’ of genocide was a matter for a ‘competent court’, not ‘non-judicial bodies’.

READ MORE BELOW:

Downing Street warns against ‘further escalation in violence’ following today’s airstrikes on Hamas leader in Qatar

Downing Street has warned against a ‘further escalation in violence’ following Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar.

It comes ahead of a meeting between Sir Keir Starmer and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in the UK this week.

Israel’s military on Tuesday said it ‘conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation’.

Qatar has hosted negotiations between Israel and Hamas in efforts to end the conflict triggered by Hamas’s deadly assault on Israel on October 7 2023.

Responding to Israel’s strike on the Qatari capital, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman told reporters: ‘You’ll appreciate these are emerging reports. We are monitoring those as more details emerge.

‘We’ve been clear that Hamas are a vile terrorist organisation responsible for an abhorrent attack on Israel on October 7, but we do not want to see a further escalation in violence which risks further destabilisation in the region.

‘Our overarching priority is to see an end to the horrific suffering in Gaza, starting with an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and a surge in humanitarian aid, leading to … peace for Israelis and Palestinians, peace in the wider region.’

No 10 denied having any prior knowledge of the attack, saying it was ‘an Israeli-led operation’ and ‘an entirely independent operation’.

Sir Keir’s meeting with Mr Herzog, expected on Wednesday, will go ahead, Downing Street confirmed.

His spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister will be meeting the Israeli president, where he’ll raise the intolerable situation in Gaza, the action Israel must take to end the horrific suffering we’re witnessing. It cannot go on any longer.’

No 10 underlined Sir Keir’s ‘revulsion’ at the suffering in Gaza, but did not repeat Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s calls for Mr Herzog to answer for alleged war crimes and ethnic cleansing committed by his country.

The Cabinet minister said earlier on Tuesday that Mr Herzog needs to explain how he believes the Israeli government can achieve its aim in Gaza ‘without genocide’.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses a cabinet meeting, as Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy looks on, at 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville/Pool

Netanyahu holds news conference following attacks in Qatari capital

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a news conference following today’s airstrikes, which he described as a ‘surgical precision strike’.

He said those targeted in Doha earlier today, organised as well as celebrated the deaths of October 7.

He contented their strike was ‘completely justified’ after two gunmen killed six people on a bus in Jerusalem on Monday, for which Hamas claimed responsibility.

He told Sky News:

Our enemies must know one thing: That since the establishment of the state of Israel, Jewish blood will not be spilt,’ he said.

We are in the midst of a campaign to defeat Hamas and release all of the hostages.

We are in the midst of a campaign to defeat Hamas and release all of the hostages.

We have delivered great blows to all parts of the axis of evil.

Together we stand, together we fight, and with God’s help we will be victorious.’

TOPSHOT - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the scene of a shooting at the Ramot road junction in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on September 8, 2025. Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on September 8, killing five people and wounding several others. Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) said there were five victims dead in the shooting attack, updating an earlier toll of four. Police said the two gunmen were also killed. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli President says Hamas chief negotiator has ‘the blood of thousands on his hands’

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said it was ‘important and correct’ to target Hamas’s leadership, via X today.

He went on to denounce Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s chief negotiator, but did not confirm if he was the direct target of today’s airstrike.

Herzog added that al-Hayya had ‘the blood of thousands on his hands, one of the architects of the October 7th massacre, as are many of his colleagues.’

FILE PHOTO: Israeli President Isaac Herzog shows a photo Israeli man Evyatar David, who is held hostage by Hamas, as he speaks during a press conference with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics in Riga, Latvia August 5, 2025. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

Breaking:Hamas boss survives attack but his son and aide were killed in attack, Hamas official says

Attempts to kill Hamas leaders and al-Hayya, who met to talk about Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal, were not successful.

However, al-Hayya’s son, Hammam, and one of his top aides were killed by the airstrikes in the Qatari city, according to Al Jazeera.

Contact with three other bodyguards was also lost, the publication has said.

Breaking:Hamas leaders survive attack in Doha, official confirms

A member of Hamas’s political bureau, has confirmed to Al Jazeera that the group’s leadership who were targeted in the Doha attack have survived the attack.

Fresh fear among Israeli hostages in Gaza amid fresh attacks on Doha

Families of Israeli hostages in Gaza have been hit with a new wave anxiety with today’s news.

Einav Zanguaker, whose son is being kept prisoner, said: ‘I am shaking with fear.

‘It could be that in these very moments the Prime Minister has actually assassinated my Matan. Why does he insist on blowing up any chance of a deal?’

It has not yet been confirmed if any senior Hams officials have durvived the attack on Doha.

According to the BBC, they had met for talks over the latest American proposals to bring the war in war-torn conclave to an end.

Families of those held hostage have continued to claim Benjamin Netanyahu of endangering their children’s lives.

Just how have Middle Eastern countries reacted?

Middle East and Arab countries have reacted in horror at Israel’s attack on Doha.

Qatar branded the missile strikes as a ‘criminal assault’ and ‘cowardly’ act which was a ‘flagrant violation’ of international laws.

Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, warned the kingdom would deploy ‘all capabilities’ to support Qatar after the attack, according to Saudi state news.

It’s unclear if this could involve military support.

The statement also warned Israel of ‘grave consequences’ resulting from its ‘persistence in criminal transgressions’.

DOHA, QATAR - SEPTEMBER 9: Security footage captures the moment of an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, on September 9, 2025. (Photo by Security Camera/Anadolu via Getty Images)

also hit out and said it ‘strongly condemns’ the strike, which it said sets a ‘dangerous precedent’ and ‘undermines’ global efforts for de-escalation in the region.

Breaking:Video: Moment building in Doha is obliterated by Israel

This is the moment Israel’s missiles struck a building in Doha, as the IDF sought to target Hamas’ top terror leaders in Qatar today.

Pope Leo: ‘The entire situation is very serious’

Pope Leo, who typically refrains from speaking off the cuff, expressed unusually forceful concern on Tuesday about the consequences of Israel’s strike in Qatar.

‘There’s some really serious news right now: Israel’s attack on some Hamas leaders in Qatar,’ the pontiff told journalists outside his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.

‘The entire situation is very serious,’ Leo said. ‘We do not know how things will go. It is really serious.”

Leo, the first US pope, has tended to take a diplomatic approach that is more muted=than his predecessor, Pope Francis. He usually sticks to the Vatican’s careful diplomatic language, but has been ramping up criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

The pope met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the Vatican last week, after which the Vatican said Leo had lamented the ‘tragic situation in Gaza’ with Herzog.

Leo spoke today after news that Israel had launched a strike in Doha, which it said was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Khalil al-Hayya, its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator.

‘We must continue working and insisting on peace,’ the pope told the journalists, who also asked for comments about the situation in Gaza.

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - SEPTEMBER 07: Pope Leo XIV holds the Canonisation Ceremony of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican on September 07, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***

Ceasefire negotiations in Qatar are cancelled

Reports claims all ceasefire negotiations between Isreal and Hamas in Qatar have been cancelled.

It followed the Israeli airstrike against senior Hamas officials in Doha earlier today.

Breaking:Two killed in Doha but Hamas chief not among the dead, reports say

Palestinian media have claimed two people were killed in Israel’s strike in Qatar – but that top Hamas chiefs have survived.

Reports name the dead as Himam al-Hayya, the son of Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya, and Jihad Labad, the director of Khalil al-Hayya’s office.

According to the reports, no other Palestinians were killed in the attack, The Times of Israel has claimed.

However, these reports have yet to be independently verified.

TOPSHOT - This frame grab taken from an AFPTV footage shows smoke billowing after explosions in Doha's capital Qatar on September 9, 2025. An Israeli military official told AFP that the military had carried out air strikes on Doha on September 9 in an operation targeting senior leaders of Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by Jacqueline PENNEY / AFPTV / AFP) (Photo by JACQUELINE PENNEY/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images)

Netanyahu: Doha strike WAS in retaliation for Hamas’ Jerusalem gun massacre

Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes targeting Hamas top chiefs in Doha following a deadly shooting in Jerusalem a day earlier claimed by the Palestinian militant group.

‘Yesterday, following the deadly attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed all security agencies to prepare for the possibility of targeting Hamas leaders,’ a joint statement from Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

‘Today at noon, in light of an operational opportunity… the prime minister and the defence minister decided to implement the directive given last night.’

Hamas tdday claimed responsibility for the shooting that killed six people on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Two gunmen boarded a bus on Monday in one of the deadliest attacks the city has witnessed in recent times.

Police shot dead two gunman. A third suspect was arrested a short while after.

L-R: Defense Minister Israel Katz, Military Secretary to the Prime Minister Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu's chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, and acting Shin Bet head

Israel: Doha attack planned for ‘several months’

The raid against Hamas chiefs in Doha had been in the works for several months, accord to Israel’s Army Radio.

Israel ‘decided to accelerate preparations for the battle’ after Hamas ‘showed greater intransigence’ over a peace deal, it says.

‘Weekly meetings were held in the Israeli military to ensure the readiness of all intelligence and operational bodies for the operation,’ the report claims.

The onslaught came hours after Hamas claimed responsibility for a deadly gun attack in Jerusalem.

Defence analysts say Israel’s airstrike today would not necessarily have been in direct response to Monday’s attack.

However, some experts claim it may have swayed decision amongst Israeli leadership to launch such an audacious air strike into Qatar.

It’s unclear just what sort of geopolitical impact this will have on Israel.

The United States was told about the attack before it happened. However, it’s understood Qatar was not informed.

ANKARA, TURKIYE - SEPTEMBER 9: An infographic titled 'Israel strikes Qatari capital Doha, targeting Hamas officials' created in Ankara, Turkiye on September 9, 2025. (Photo by Ufuk Celal Guzel/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Qatar’s statement – in full

Here is everything Qatar had to said on the attack against Hamas chiefs in the country’s capital of Doha:

Was the Doha strike in response to Hamas’ deadly gun attack in Israel?

Today’s strike in Qatar came shortly after Hamas claimed responsibility for a gun attack in Jerusalem that killed six people on Monday.

The strikes also come less than two weeks after Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir vowed to target the group’s leaders based abroad.

‘Most of Hamas’s leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well,’ Zamir said on August 31.

‘May all your enemies perish, Israel,’ Culture Minister Miki Zohar posted on X.

Hamas and Israel have held multiple rounds of indirect ceasefire negotiations brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States throughout the nearly two-year Gaza war. Despite two temporary truces, the talks have failed to bring a lasting end to the war.

Members of Israel's ZAKA search and rescue emergency services collect samples at the scene of a shooting at the Ramot road junction in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on September 8, 2025. Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on September 8, killing five people and wounding several others. Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) said there were five victims dead in the shooting attack, updating an earlier toll of four. Police said the two gunmen were also killed. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Who is Khalil Al-Hayya – the top Hamas chief targeted by Israel

FILE PHOTO: Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya sits at a mourning house for assassinated Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar, August 2, 2024. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File Photo

Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official targeted by Israel in Qatar on Tuesday, has become an increasingly central figure in the leadership of the Palestinian militant group since both Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar were killed last year.

Israeli officials told Reuters the attack was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Hayya, its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator. Two Hamas sources told Reuters the group’s ceasefire negotiation delegation in Doha survived the attack.

At the heart of ceasefire negotiations during the war that erupted two years ago, Hayya has been widely seen as the group’s most influential figure abroad since Haniyeh was killed by Israel in Iran in July 2024.

He is part of a five-man leadership council that has led Hamas since Sinwar was killed by Israel last October in Gaza.

Hailing from the Gaza Strip, Hayya has lost several close relatives – including his eldest son – to Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, and is a veteran member of the Islamist group.

Regarded as having good ties with Iran, a vital source of arms and finance for Hamas, he has been closely involved in the group’s efforts to broker several truces with Israel, playing a key role in ending a 2014 conflict and again in attempts to secure an end to the current Gaza war.

Born in the Gaza Strip in 1960, Hayya has been part of Hamas since it was set up in 1987.

Mother of Israeli hostage in Gaza fears strikes have ‘sealed his fate’

The distraught mother of an Israeli hostage still held captive in Gaza fears Benjamin Netanyahu’s strike in Doha on Hamas may have effectively “assassinated” her son.

Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan Angrest is one of the few remaining hostages being held in the war-torn enclave, now says he could be executed in retaliation for today’s bombing.

‘I’m shaking with fear. It could be that in these very moments the prime minister has actually assassinated my Matan, sealed his fate,’ she said following the attack in Qatar.

‘Whoever decides to intentionally endanger my Matan’s life is murdering him. Why does he insist on blowing up any chance of a deal? It’s my child’s life, my Matan’s life is hanging in the balance!

‘Over and over and over again the prime minister sabotages the deal. I’m fed up. End this war already and bring everyone back in a comprehensive agreement.’

Einav Matan Zangauker,the mother of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker, holds an Israeli flag bearing pictures of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, during an anti-government protest calling for action to secure their, outside the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on August 7, 2025. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Breaking:UN chief condemns Israeli strikes on Qatar

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned Israel’s strikes as a ‘flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar’.

He said Qatar has been playing a very positive role to try and achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.

‘All parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it,’ Guterres told reporters.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres  speaks about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, to members of the media prior to a U.N. Security Council meeting, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, U.S., August 28, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Saudi Arabia: Israel face’s ‘dire consequences’

Saudi Arabia says it warns of ‘dire consequences’ over Israel’s ‘persistence in criminal violations’.

It’s the latest country to condemn the attack, alongside the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iran.

Saudi Arabia condemned the strike in Doha ‘in the strongest terms’, calling it ‘brutal Israeli aggression and the flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the sisterly State of Qatar’.

It also warned of ‘the grave consequences resulting from the Israeli occupation’s persistence in its criminal transgressions and its blatant violation of the principles of international law and all international norms’

This frame grab taken from an AFPTV footage shows a man looking at smoke billowing after explosions in Doha's capital Qatar on September 9, 2025. An Israeli military official told AFP that the military had carried out air strikes on Doha on September 9 in an operation targeting senior leaders of Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by Jacqueline PENNEY / AFPTV / AFP) (Photo by JACQUELINE PENNEY/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images)

.

Netanyahu watched the Israeli airstrike

Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly viewed the attack live has it took place.

Fears Israel’s strike will harm efforts to free Gaza hostages

Qatar has reportedly claimed Israel’s strike against Hamas’s top terrorist chieftains is ‘complicating’ efforts to bring Israeli hostages back from Gaza.

According to Sky News, a Qatari diplomatic source said: ‘Hamas received the new proposal from us, which we obtained from [US special envoy Steve] Witkoff last week in Paris,” the source said.

‘The prime minister met with them yesterday. They decided to meet again today to discuss the proposal, arriving from Turkey.

‘However, as has happened before, the Israelis undermined hopes for peace, further prolonging the war and complicating efforts to bring back the hostages.’

Iran: Attack is a ‘dangerous violation of international law’

Iran has hit out over Israel’s attack in Qatar today.

The country – which earlier this year launched its own vicious missile bombardment against Israel – has blasted the IDF’s operation against Hamas in Doha.

In comments to Iranian media, Tehran described the attack as a ‘dangerous’ move.

A foreign ministry spokesman condemns the ‘violation to international law’.

Islamic Jihad calls attack a ‘blatant criminal act’

Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza, condemned Israel’s targeting of its ally’s leaders in the Qatari capital of Doha.

Israel’s ‘targeting of a meeting of leaders of… Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha, is a blatant criminal act that violates all human standards and values, as well as the most basic international laws and norms,’ Islamic Jihad said in a statement.

Who was Israel targeting in the missile strike?

Israel launched its controversial offensive into Qatar – a neutral state – to target key Hamas officials.

It’s believed the top chiefs of the terror group were in Doha as part of peace negotiations.

According to a senior official from the region, those present at the meeting attacked in today were:

  • Khalil al Hayya (pictured below)
  • Khaled Mashaal
  • Muhammad Darwish
  • Razi Hamad
  • Izzat al-Rishq

FILE PHOTO: Hamas officials, Khalil Al-Hayya and Osama Hamdan, attend a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, November 21, 2023. REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo

Breaking:Netanyahu: Israel takes full responsibility for strikes

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has released a statement after the Israeli strikes in Doha.

‘Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation,’ it said..

‘Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.’

It comes amid reports in the Israeli media that claimed Donald Trump allegedly ‘gave the green light’ for the strike.

The comment was citied on Israel’s Channel 12 news site.

A damaged building, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders, according to an Israeli official, in Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa        TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Israel reveals why it launched attack in Doha

The Israeli Defence Force claimed the Hamas chiefs it targeted were responsible for the organisation’s terrorist operations and October 7 massacre.

Read the IDF’s full statement, below:

US embassy staff in Doha told to shelter-in-place

American officials in Qatar have been told to seek cover following the Israeli attack against Hamas.

In the first official US comment on the raid, the American embassy in Doha confirmed it has seen ‘reports of missile strikes occurring’ in the Qatari capital.

‘The US Embassy has instituted a shelter-in-place order for their facilities,’ the embassy said in a social media post.

It also urged American citizens in Qatar to shelter in place.

Video shows plumes of smoke after explosion

Dramatic video has revealed the aftermath of the Israeli airstrike against Hamas in Qatar.

Leaders for the Gazan terror group were in Doha as part of a peace deligation trying to negotiate a ceasefire.

Footage from the scene appears to show black plumes of smokes raising from the building.

Qatar blasts ‘cowardly’ Israel attack in Doha

Qatar’s foreign ministry has lashed out at an Israeli strike against Hamas in Qatar, branding it ‘cowardly’ and a ‘flagrant violation’ of international law.

In strong words, spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said Qatar ‘condemns in the strongest terms’ the attack, which he claimed was carried out on residential buildings housing several members of the Hamas political bureau.

‘This criminal attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents of Qatar,’ he said in a statement.

‘While strongly condemning this attack, the State of Qatar affirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour and its continued tampering with regional security, as well as any action targeting its security and sovereignty. Investigations are under way at the highest level, and further details will be announced as soon as they become available.’

ALTERNATIVE CROP OF XEM104.- Smoke rises from an explosion, allegedly caused by an Israeli strike, in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (UGC via AP)

Breaking:Israel launches major attack on Hamas in Qatar

Israel carried out what it called a precise strike on Hamas‘ senior leadership in Qatar on Tuesday, with the Palestinian group claiming the IDF targeted negotiators.

Several blasts were heard in Doha, the Qatari capital, this afternoon as the IDF claimed responsibility for the unprecedented strikes.

The IDF said that it and the Israel Security Agency, Shin Bet, had ‘conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership’ of Hamas.

‘Prior to the strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence,’ it said, vowing to ‘continue to operate … to defeat the Hamas terrorist organisation’.

Read the full story by James Clark, here:

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