Israel notified US ahead of Doha strike targeting Hamas leaders, White House says

A White House official said that Israel notified about its strike in Doha targeting Hamas leadership on Tuesday.

Updated on: Sep 9, 2025, 23:13:14 IST

By HT News Desk

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A White House official has said that Israel notified about its strike in Doha targeting Hamas leadership on Tuesday.

Smoke rises after several blasts were heard in Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (REUTERS)

The developments comes shortly after Israeli military confirmed that it targeted Hamas leadership in Doha.

The latest strike on Qatar's territory is seen as a major escalation in the Gaza war, as the conflict is set to enter its third year next month, without any signs of settlement in the near future.

US President Donald Trump during his high-profile visit to Qatar in May had stayed at a hotel around two kilometres from the Tuesday's attack site.

Also Read: After Israeli strike, Hamas officials say exiled leadership survived Doha attack: Report

Israeli officials told Reuters that the attack was aimed at top Hamas leaders, including Khalil Al-Hayya, its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator.

While Al-Hayya survived the attack, his son and a top aide were killed in the strike, a Hamas official told Al Jazeera.

Al-Hayya 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. Hamas officials have said that the son of militant leader Khalil al-Hayya was killed in the Israeli strike.

Also Read: ‘Reckless behaviour’, ‘dangerous’: World leaders react to Israeli strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha

Israel is still gathering information on the strike and is yet to confirm whether any Hamas officials were killed, Reuters reported quoting a source.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was "entirely justified" and was ordered after Monday's Jerusalem attack and the loss of four Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

“The days are over when terror leaders can enjoy immunity of any kind ... I won't allow that kind of immunity to exist,” Netanyahu said in a televised address.

Qatar, which has acted as a mediator in talks on a ceasefire, condemned the attack as "cowardly" and called it a flagrant violation of international law.

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HT News Desk
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