According to officials who spoke with Israel’s Channel 12, President Donald Trump approved the Israeli airstrikes.
By David Rosenberg
Explosions were reported Tuesday afternoon in the Qatari capital after Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on senior Hamas leaders.
Israel’s security establishment confirmed shortly afterward that the explosions were caused by Israel Air Force strikes in Doha.
“The IDF and the Shin Bet, via the Air Force, have just carried out a targeted strike against the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the IDF and Shin Bet security agency said in a joint statement.
“The leadership members who were struck have led the organization’s activities for years and are directly responsible for carrying out the October 7 massacre and for managing the war against the State of Israel.”
Explosions in the heart of Doha: IDF strikes senior Hamas leaders in Qatar in historic attack
IDF and Shin Bet announces a 'precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization'; Arab media reports that the negotiating delegation met to discuss… pic.twitter.com/fBf0pKq4er
— Ynetnews (@ynetnews) September 9, 2025
The Shin Bet and IDF emphasized that before the bombings, steps were taken to minimize collateral damage.
“Yesterday, after the murderous attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu directed all security elements to prepare for the possibility of striking the Hamas leadership. The defense minister fully supported this initiative,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement just hours after the attack.
“This afternoon, in light of an operational opportunity, and in consultation with all security establishment heads, and with full backing, the prime minister and the defense minister decided to implement the directive that was given last night to the IDF and the ISA, which did so with precision and in an optimal manner,” the statement continued.
“The prime minister and the defense minister believed that the action was fully justified given the fact that it was this Hamas leadership that initiated and organized the October 7 massacre, and – since then – has not ceased from launching murderous operations against the State of Israel and its citizens, including taking responsibility for the murder of our citizens in yesterday’s terrorist attack in Jerusalem.”
Channel 14 cited a senior Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity, explaining that the strikes targeted Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, co-chairmen of the Hamas politburo.
According to unconfirmed reports from Saudi Arabia, al-Hayya was killed in the strikes.
According to a report by Saudi Al Arabiya, fellow politburo co-chair Khaled Mashal, who led Hamas in the 1990s until 2017, and politburo member Nizar Awadallah were also present at the targeted gathering.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, calling it “cowardly” while acknowledging that it targeted senior Hamas leaders.
“The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha,” the statement read.
“This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar.”
The strike targeted a meeting of the Hamas politburo held to deliberate on the Trump administration’s latest ceasefire proposal, Axios reported, citing two Israeli officials.
According to officials who spoke with Israel’s Channel 12, President Donald Trump approved the Israeli airstrikes.
Tuesday’s airstrikes mark the first time that Israeli warplanes have bombed targets inside Qatari territory.
The attack came shortly after Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting at Jerusalem’s Ramot Junction on Monday that left six people dead and more than a dozen wounded.
