Israel launched a strike targeting Hamas’ leadership in Qatar on Tuesday, officials said, further widening its campaign against the militant group.
Qatar has served as a key negotiator in efforts to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and it was unclear if the attack would stall those efforts.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack Tuesday, saying “all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.â€
An Israeli military spokesman said Israel’s air force carried out the strike.
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US Embassy in Qatar orders a brief shelter-in-place
After the Israeli attack, the embassy sent an alert telling its staff and all U.S. citizens in the country to shelter-in-place.
It lifted all restrictions hours later, but advised all American staff and visitors in Doha to “remain vigilant.â€
The US had some forewarning that Israel intended to carry out the strike on Hamas in Qatar
Israel alerted the U.S. ahead of time, according to an Israeli official, a White House official and another person familiar with the matter. The White House official would not say if Washington provided Israel with approval for carrying out the strike, but another U.S. official said the American military did not participate.
All four officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
Pentagon officials referred questions about coordination to the White House. And the White House officials did not respond to request for comment.
It was not clear how much warning was provided or whether the U.S. expressed approval for the strike.
Congressional leaders appeared caught off guard by Israel’s strike.
“I’m not sure about that development,†House Speaker Mike Johnson said when asked about the situation at his weekly press conference Tuesday. “We’ll have to reserve judgement.â€
Senate leaders Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican John Thune made no mention of the strikes in their opening remarks as the chamber convened.
It was unclear if they had been briefed ahead of the action.
— By Aamer Madhani, Konstantin Toropin and Joseph Krauss
UN General Assembly’s new president calls for ‘maximum restraint’ after Israeli strike in Qatar
Annalena Baerbock called Israel’s attack in Qatar an escalation of the conflict in Gaza and “obviously concerning.â€
Baerbock, a former German foreign minister, stressed that all 193 U.N. member nations are required by the U.N. Charter to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every country.
She called for intensified diplomatic efforts toward an immediate and permanent ceasefire, improved humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza by the Israeli government, and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
Baerbock spoke shortly after taking the oath of office to become president of the 80th session of the General Assembly, which ends in September 2026.
US forces not involved in Doha strike
The U.S. military did not participate in the Israeli strikes that took place in Doha, according to a U.S. official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Pentagon has directed questions to the White House, where officials didn’t immediately respond.
Syria says the attack on Doha reflects Israel’s lack of respect for international law
Syria’s Foreign Ministry warned in a statement that the Israeli strikes targeting Hamas leadership represented “a dangerous escalation that would undermine security and stability in the region.â€
The ministry called the attack “a blatant violation of international law and the sovereignty of the sisterly State of Qatar.â€
Qatar has been a strong supporter of the interim government in Syria since former Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted in a lightning rebel offensive in December.
Israel has been suspicious of Syria’s new Islamist-led authorities, and Israeli forces have seized a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military sites since Assad’s fall.
The pope calls Israeli attack on Hamas leadership in Qatar ‘really serious’
“We have to pray a lot and continue to work and try to insist†on an end to the hostilities, Pope Leo XIV told Italy’s RAI television.
“The whole situation is really serious,†Leo said.
Leo and the Vatican’s top diplomats met Israeli President Isaac Herzog last week, when he called for a permanent , the release of all hostages and entry of humanitarian aid to famine-stricken Palestinians there.
The Vatican told Herzog a two-state solution was the “only way out of the war,†according to a Vatican statement at the time.
The first American pope also said Tuesday that he tried without success to contact the parish priest at the Catholic church in Gaza. The priest decided against evacuating, choosing instead to remain with Palestinians sheltering in the church.
Turkey warns that the attack on Doha undermines the peace effort in Gaza
The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes, describing them as “evidence of Israel’s expansionist policies and its adoption of terrorism of state strategy.â€
The ministry’s statement expressed Turkey’s solidarity with Qatar and renewed a call on the international community to exert pressure to halt Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories and the wider region.
Omer Celik, the spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party, described the attack as a “barbaric act of terrorism.â€
Lebanon calls Israeli attack on Doha an attempt to further destabilize the Middle East
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the Israeli strikes were “part of a series of attacks committed by Israel, demonstrating its insistence on undermining all efforts made to achieve stability and security in the countries of the region and the safety of its people.â€
Since a ceasefire nominally put an end to the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in November, Israel has continued to launch near-daily strikes in Lebanon.
Aoun urged “the international community to put an end to these Israeli practices that continue to violate all international laws and agreements and obstruct every commendable effort made by the State of Qatar to establish peace in the region and put an end to the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people.â€
Egypt calls attack on Doha ‘an unacceptable development’
The Egyptian presidency said in a statement that the attack “targeted a meeting of Palestinian leaders in the Qatari capital, Doha, to discuss ways to reach a ceasefire agreement†in Gaza.
“This attack sets a serious precedent and an unacceptable development, and constitutes a direct assault on the sovereignty of the sisterly State of Qatar, which plays a pivotal role in mediation efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,†it said.
The UK says it had no advance knowledge of Israel’s strike on Doha
When asked if the British government had been told, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman Dave Pares, pointed to a statement by Israel’s prime minister saying the attack was a solely an Israeli operation.
Pares called Hamas “a vile terrorist organization,†but did not directly criticize the Israeli attack.
“We do not want to see a further escalation in violence which risks further destabilization in the region. Our overarching priority is to see an end to the horrific suffering in Gaza,†he said.
Starmer is scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday. Pares said the British leader would use the meeting to “raise the intolerable situation in Gaza and the action Israel must take to end the horrific suffering.â€
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince expresses solidarity with Qatar
In a phone call with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described Israel’s attack on Doha as a “criminal act and a flagrant violation of international law.â€
He offered Saudi Arabia’s “full solidarity†with Qatar.
The Houthis in Yemen blames Israel and the US for the Doha attack
Mohammed al-frah a member of the Houthis’ political office, posted his condemnation of the attack on X, saying Israel and the United States are fully responsible.
“This cowardly operation was nothing but a deliberate assassination attempt against the negotiating delegation, a despicable effort to eliminate any prospect for peace, and an execution of any diplomatic hope in the region,†he said.
Iraq condemns Israel’s attack that targeted Hamas’ headquarters in Doha
Iraq’s foreign ministry said in a statement that this “cowardly act represents a flagrant violation†of Qatar’s sovereignty and poses a threat to its security and stability.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates Iraq’s firm position in standing with the government and people of the sisterly State of Qatar, and fully supporting it in confronting any attacks that undermine its sovereignty or threaten its national security,†the statement read.
The Israeli ambassador to the UN applauds the ‘courageous’ attack in Doha
Danny Danon defended his country’s strike Tuesday on Hamas’ headquarters in Doha, saying “there is no hiding place for terrorists.â€
“The precise strike in Doha targeted senior Hamas leaders who planned the October 7 massacre and celebrated while our citizens were abducted,†Danon posted on X. “I commend our security forces for this courageous and precise operation.â€
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned the Israeli attack on Hamas’ headquarters in Doha
“We are just learning about the Israeli attacks in Qatar, a country that has been playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and the release of all hostages,†Guterres told reporters at a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
“I condemn this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,†he said, adding “all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.â€
Spain bars two Israeli ministers from entry over the war in Gaza
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Tuesday that his government is prohibiting the entry of Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, its finance minister.
In a televised address Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called Israel’s attacks in Gaza an “extermination of a defenseless people.â€
Israel banned the entrance of two of Spain’s ministers in response to that speech.
Sánchez also announced he was formalizing an arms embargo on Israel and prohibiting ships carrying fuel for Israel’s armed forces from using Spanish ports.
The Arab League condemns the Israeli attack on Doha
In a statement, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abou Gheit said the attack violated Qatar’s sovereignty.
He said Israel “does not care about the consequences of its shameful actions.â€
