DOHA/WASHINGTON. Israel launched an airstrike in Qatar on Tuesday targeting Hamas political leaders, in what the United States described as a unilateral move that does not advance either American or Israeli interests. The attack marked a sharp escalation in the conflict and drew widespread international condemnation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “very unhappy about every aspect” of the strike and would issue a full statement on Wednesday. “I’m not thrilled about it,” Trump told reporters in Washington. “It’s not a good situation but I will say this: We want the hostages back, but we’re not thrilled about the way it went down today.”
Israel defended the strike as justified, while Qatar condemned it as “state terrorism.” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani warned that the airstrike endangered peace talks that Qatar has been mediating between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas said five members were killed, including the son of senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, though its top leadership survived. Israel said the strike aimed at senior Hamas officials, including Hayya, but has yet to confirm the results.
Trump said eliminating Hamas was a “worthy goal” but criticized the attack for taking place in Qatar, a U.S. ally and host of al-Udeid Air Base. “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Trump wrote on social media.
Qatar denied receiving advance warning, saying U.S. officials called only after blasts had already begun in Doha. The strike killed one member of Qatar’s internal security forces and injured others, according to the Qatari government. Al-Thani vowed that Qatar “reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack.”
The attack drew condemnation from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Pope Leo also expressed “very serious” concern about the consequences. The UAE, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020, called the strike “blatant and cowardly.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the operation, linking it to a Hamas shooting in Jerusalem that killed six and to the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Gaza. “The days are over when terror leaders can enjoy immunity of any kind,” Netanyahu said in a televised address.
The strike risks derailing fragile ceasefire talks and intensifying the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza, where local authorities say more than 64,000 people have been killed since October 2023. Israel has targeted Hamas leaders across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Yemen, while pursuing its goal to demilitarize the enclave.
International critics warn Israel’s strategy could cause catastrophe for Palestinians and further destabilize the region, as families of hostages fear the assault may jeopardize their loved ones.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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