Israel has carried out an unprecedented strike on Hamas’s leadership in the Qatari capital, Doha, triggering widespread international condemnation and escalating tensions in the region.
Doha attack
Hamas confirmed that five of its members were killed in the attack, including the son of senior leader Khalil al-Hayya. A member of Qatar’s security forces also died in the strike.
Qatar denounced the attack as “cowardly,” stressing that it had received no prior warning from the United States despite Washington’s close security ties with both Israel and Doha. The assault has shocked Gulf states, raising urgent questions about Israel’s willingness to extend its war beyond Palestinian territories.
Escalation in Gaza
Meanwhile, Israeli bombardment of Gaza continues at an unrelenting pace. On Tuesday alone, at least 52 Palestinians were killed, including nine people waiting in line for food aid.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, Israel’s war has so far killed at least 64,605 people and wounded 163,319 since October 2023. Thousands more remain trapped under rubble from repeated air strikes.
October 7 context
The war began after the October 7, 2023 attacks, when Hamas-led fighters killed 1,139 people inside Israel and took around 200 captives back into Gaza. Since then, Israel’s campaign has expanded, devastating Gaza and increasingly spilling into the broader Middle East.
