EXPLOSIONS have rocked Doha after an Israeli assassination attempt on Hamas leaders after the “greenlight” from Trump, officials said.
Smoke was seen rising over the Qatari capital, and Israel then confirmed a “precise” strike on Hamas terror chiefs – dubbed “Day of Judgement”.
Qatari capital Doha was shrouded in smoke
Smoke rises over Doha after several blasts were heardReuters
It’s not yet known whether anyone was injured in the blastsReuters
The IDF said it “conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation”.
Unconfirmed reports in Arabic media say that Hamas’s top leaders were gathered in the building hit by the strike.
Among them was reportedly the Hamas leader in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya.
Various sources have also said that American and British spy planes were flying over Doha before the attack.
Qatar has responded furiously, saying it “strongly condemns” the “cowardly” act – and suggesting it could thwart their efforts to broker a hostage-return deal.
Soon afterwards, Hamas claimed responsibility for the gun attack in Jerusalem which killed six civilians.
The IDF said: “For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel.
“Prior to the strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence.”
A senior Qatari official slammed Israel for unloading the strikes just after Hamas had been presented with a new US peace proposal.
They said: “The Hamas delegation then decided to meet again today to discuss the proposal, traveling from Turkey to Qatar where the strike took place.
“However, as has happened before, the Israelis undermined hopes for peace, further prolonging the war and complicating efforts to bring back the hostages.”
The IDF has not officially confirmed that its strikes targeted Doha, but Qatari officials have made the link.
An unnamed Israeli minister also reportedly confirmed to Israeli media that the Doha blasts were indeed Israel’s work.
Israeli officials told Channel 12 that President Trump was consulted and gave the go ahead for the assassination strikes.
The channel was also told the operation was called “Atzeret HaDin”, which roughly translates to “Day of Judgement”.
The US embassy in the Qatari capital has since issued an order for any of its citizens there to take shelter.
It said: “We have seen reports of missile strikes occurring in Doha,” the embassy said.
“US citizens are advised to shelter-in-place and monitor [our] social media for updates.”
Most of Hamas’s military leadership has already been assassinated since the October 7 attack – but the political figures have remained largely untouched.
Qatar has been one of two countries, alongside Egypt, mediating talks between Israel and Hamas.
Iran also piled in to condemn the strikes.
A Foreign Minstry spokesperson said the action was a “blatant violation of international law” and an “infringement upon the national sovereignty of Qatar and the Palestinian negotiators”.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
Smoke was seen rising over the Katara District in the Qatari capital after the “precise” strike on terror chiefs, Israeli officials said. Smoke was seen rising over the Katara District in the Qatari capital[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
