Israel launched an air strike against the leaders of Hamas in Qatar yesterday, escalating its military action in the Middle East with what the White House described as a unilateral attack that does not advance American and Israeli interests.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said hitting Hamas was a worthy goal, but the United States felt badly that the attack took place in the Gulf Arab state, which is a major non-Nato ally of Washington and where the Palestinian group has long had its political base.
The attack risks derailing Gaza ceasefire talks and President Donald Trump’s push to achieve a negotiated end to the nearly two-year-old conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Qatar is a key security partner of the US and host to Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military facility in the Middle East.
It has acted as a mediator alongside Egypt in talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, which is becoming increasingly elusive.
Hamas said five of its members had been killed in the attack, including the son of Hamas’s exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator Khalil Al Hayya.
It said Israel had failed in what Hamas called an attempt to assassinate the group’s ceasefire negotiation team.
The US administration got warning of the attack “just before” it took place, Leavitt said, and that came from the US military.
She declined to answer if it was Israel who notified the US military or not.
“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar – a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard in bravely taking risks with us to broker peace – does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Leavitt said. “However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”
Hamas political bureau member Suhail Al Hindi said the group’s top leadership had survived the Israeli attack.
The air strike followed an evacuation order in Gaza City, where Israel is waging an offensive to try to destroy what is left of the group that has been decimated by Israel’s military since October 2023.
Leavitt said Trump directed a top aide, Steve Witkoff, to warn Qatar the attack was coming but Doha contradicted her comments, saying that reports that it got a heads-up before the attack were false and the phone call from a US official came when blasts were already being heard in the Qatari capital.
In a phone call with the Amir of Qatar after the attack, Trump assured the Amir “such a thing will not happen again on their soil.” Trump also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Leavitt said.
Israeli officials told Reuters the strike was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Hayya.
Israel is still gathering information on the strike and is yet to determine whether any Hamas officials or leaders were killed, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters.
Two US officials said the US military had been notified by Israel shortly before the strike but there was no co-ordination with or approval from Washington.
Trump made a high-profile visit to Qatar in May and stayed at a hotel about 2km from yesterday’s attack site.
The air strike took place shortly after Hamas’ armed wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a shooting on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
Netanyahu said the attack was “entirely justified” and was ordered after the 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.
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