Israel has confirmed it carried out a strike targeting the top leadership of Hamas, Reuters reported, though it did not specify the location of the attack.
The announcement came as media reports from Qatar said explosions were heard in the capital, Doha, with columns of smoke rising into the sky.
A senior Israeli official told local media the strike targeted Hamas deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya and senior official Zaher Jabareen.
A Hamas leadership delegation survives the Doha attack, a senior group leader told Al Jazeera.
Israeli officials also told Reuters the strike was directed at Hamas leaders in Qatar, but no further details on casualties or the extent of the attack were immediately available.
Al Jazeera TV, citing a Hamas source, reported that the group’s negotiations team was targeted during a meeting in Doha where they were discussing US President Donald Trump’s latest ceasefire proposal.
Qatar swiftly condemned what it called a “cowardly” Israeli attack on its soil, saying the strike represented “a flagrant violation of all international law”.
It added that an investigation into the incident was underway “at the highest level”.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 cited an Israeli official claiming that Trump had given a “green light” for the operation against Hamas leadership in Qatar. The official added that Washington had been notified before the strike.
This is a developing story.
