DOHA, Qatar (AP) 鈥 Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Qatar on Tuesday as the group’s top figures gathered to consider a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The strike on the territory of a U.S. ally marked a stunning escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages.
The attack angered Qatar, an energy-rich Gulf nation hosting thousands of American troops that has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the 23-month-old war and even before. It condemned what it referred to as a 鈥渇lagrant violation of all international laws and norms” as smoke rose over its capital, Doha. Other key U.S. allies in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, promised their support to Qatar.
Hamas said in a statement its top leaders survived the strike but that five lower-level members were killed, including the son of Khalil al-Hayya 鈥 Hamas鈥 leader for Gaza and its top negotiator 鈥 three bodyguards, and the head of al-Hayya鈥檚 office. Hamas, which has sometimes only confirmed the assassination of its leaders months later, offered no immediate proof that al-Hayya and other senior figures had survived.
Israel launched a strike on Hamas' leadership in Qatar on Tuesday as they discussed a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, officials said. It marked a stunning extension of Israel's campaign against the militant group and risked upending negotiations aimed at winding down the war and releasing Israeli hostages. (Sept. 9, 2025)
AP VideoThe United States said Israel alerted it before the strike. But American officials sought to distance the U.S. from the attack. The White House said President Donald Trump believes the strike was an 鈥渦nfortunate incident鈥 that didn鈥檛 advance peace in the region. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 鈥渕ade his thoughts and concerns very clear.鈥
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Donald Trump believes the Israeli attack on Hamas in Qatar was an 鈥渦nfortunate incident鈥 that doesn't advance peace. Leavitt said the US received prior notice about the attack from Israel. (Sept. 9, 2025)
AP VideoShe also told reporters that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff passed along a warning to the Qataris. But Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari derided the warning, saying in a post on X that it came just as 鈥渢he explosions from the Israeli strikes were being heard.鈥
Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, lashed out at Netanyahu for 鈥渄ragging the region to a place where it unfortunately cannot be repaired.鈥
Asked at a news conference if cease-fire talks would continue, Sheikh Mohammed said that after the strike, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 anything valid鈥 in the current talks. But he stopped short of saying Qatar would end its mediation efforts, saying 鈥渨e will do whatever we can to stop this war.鈥
A member of Qatar鈥檚 Internal Security Force was also killed by the Israeli strike and others were wounded, Qatar’s Interior Ministry said.
Hamas has survived numerous assassinations of top leaders and still shows cohesion in Gaza, despite having suffered major blows in Israel’s campaign, triggered by the militant group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
As the strike in Qatar threatens to derail , Israel is gearing up for . That escalation has been met with heavy international condemnation and opposition within Israel from those who fear it will doom the remaining hostages.
Israel had long threatened Hamas in Qatar
Surveillance footage aired by Al Jazeera showed the strike happened in Doha鈥檚 diplomatic quarter at a series of buildings that housed Hamas鈥 political wing. An Egyptian official said the strike came when a meeting by Hamas officials over the talks had been scheduled for the site. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn鈥檛 authorized to talk to reporters.
Israel has long threatened to strike Hamas leaders wherever they are. While it has often welcomed Qatar’s role as a mediator, alongside Egypt, it has also accused the Gulf nation of not putting enough pressure on the group.
In contrast to previous Israeli operations against , Netanyahu was quick to publicly claim the strike, saying: 鈥淚srael initiated it, Israel conducted it and Israel takes full responsibility.”
He said the decision was made Monday after that killed six people and an attack on Israeli forces in Gaza that killed four soldiers.
The Israeli military said it used 鈥減recise munitions and additional intelligence鈥 in the strike, without elaborating. It was not immediately clear how it carried out the attack.
Hamas said the attack showed that Netanyahu and his government 鈥渄o not want to reach any agreement and are deliberately seeking to thwart all opportunities.鈥 It said it also held the United States responsible for the strike.
Egypt, another key mediator with Hamas, also condemned the attack, saying it targeted Palestinian leaders who had met 鈥渢o discuss ways to reach a ceasefire agreement.鈥 It said the strike was a 鈥渄irect assault鈥 on Qatar鈥檚 sovereignty.
In Israel, the main group representing families of the hostages expressed 鈥渄eep concern and great fear鈥 after the strike. 鈥淭he prospect of their return now faces greater uncertainty than ever, with one thing absolutely certain 鈥 their time is running out,鈥 the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
Ceasefire negotiations in doubt
Earlier this week, Trump said he was giving his 鈥渓ast warning鈥 to Hamas regarding , as the U.S. advanced a new proposal that Arab officials said included the immediate release of all the hostages.
A senior Hamas official called it a 鈥渉umiliating surrender document,鈥 but the militant group said it would discuss the proposal and respond within days.
The proposal, presented by Witkoff, calls for a negotiated end of the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza once the hostages are released and a ceasefire is established. That’s according to Egyptian and Hamas officials familiar with the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door discussions.
Hamas has said it will only release the , around 20 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying the war will continue until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed, with Israel maintaining open-ended security control over Gaza.
Mediators had previously focused on brokering a temporary ceasefire and the release of some hostages, with the two sides then holding talks on a more permanent truce. Witkoff walked away from those talks in July, after which that mediators said was almost identical to an earlier one that Israel had approved.
International outrage
The war in Gaza has already left Israel , with even many of its Western allies calling for it to end the war and do more to address the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, .
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned the Israeli strike targeting Hamas' leadership in Qatar. The strike on Tuesday was a further widening of Israel's campaign against the militant group, as negotiations over ending the war in the Gaza Strip appear stalemated before a new military offensive there. (Sept. 9, 2025)
AP VideoAbdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister, expressed 鈥渇ull solidarity with our dear Qatar” shortly after the attack.
The United Arab Emirates that any move to annex the occupied West Bank would threaten the Abraham Accords, a landmark agreement brokered by Trump during his first term in which the two nations normalized relations.
Trump hopes to expand those accords to include regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, but those prospects have dimmed as the war has ground on.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described the strike as a 鈥渃riminal act and a flagrant violation of international law” in a phone call with Qatar’s ruler.
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Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, and Aamer Madhani, Darlene Superville and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, contributed.
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