Updated September 9, 2025 at 3:39 PM CDT
TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike targeting senior Hamas leaders in Qatar's capital on Tuesday. The attack prompted international condemnation, and was even met with disapproval from the United States, an ally of both Israel and Qatar.
A Hamas official said no leader was killed. But speaking to NPR on condition of anonymity, in order to comment before the group made a formal announcement, the Hamas official confirmed five fatalities, including the son of Hamas' top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, as well as an office manager and several other employees.
Qatar's Interior Ministry also said a member of its Internal Security Force was killed.
This is the first time Israel has carried out a strike in Doha. It marks an escalation in Israel's war against Hamas, inside a city that has played host to mediation efforts to end the conflict.
Israel's military said the Hamas leaders it was targeting had been directly responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and have since been "orchestrating and managing" the war against Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement they had instructed officials to prepare for a possible strike on Hamas leaders following a shooting by two Palestinian gunmen that killed six Israelis at a bus stop in Jerusalem on Monday. Hamas on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the shooting in Jerusalem.
Qatar and allies criticized the attack
Qatar's government swiftly denounced the Israeli strike in its capital. "The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha," the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar."
The Qatari statement added that the country "will not tolerate this reckless and irresponsible Israeli behavior, which continuously undermines the region's security."
Envoy Steve Witkoff was told to inform Qatar of the attack
The White House said a unilateral strike inside a sovereign nation and close U.S. ally "does not advance Israel or America's goals," according to a statement read to reporters Tuesday by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Leavitt told reporters that the U.S. military — which has a large regional base in Qatar — had learned of the strike just before it began. She said President Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff informed the Qataris of the impending attack.
"The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of this attack," Leavitt said, reading from the statement.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he condemned "this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar."
Speaking during a news conference about a report on global military spending, he noted Qatar "has been playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and the release of all hostages," and said "all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it."
France, Spain and the United Kingdom also condemned the attack, as did Arab countries Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Jordan.
The strike came just 2 1/2 months after Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, used by the U.S. military's Central Command, was attacked by Iran in retaliation for the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites.
NPR's Mara Liasson and Michele Kelemen contributed reporting from Washington, D.C.
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