Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas\u2019s political bureau, tells Al Jazeera that a number of people were killed in the bombing.<\/p>\n
Published On 9 Sep 20259 Sep 2025<\/p>\n
The Hamas leadership has survived Israel\u2019s \u201ccowardly assassination attempt\u201d in the Qatari capital Doha, Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas\u2019s political bureau, has told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n
In its first official statement on Tuesday evening, Hamas said Israel\u2019s attack was intended to derail prisoner exchange talks and ceasefire negotiations to end the Israel-Palestine war.<\/p>\n
Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list<\/p>\n
The group confirmed that its top leaders survived the assassination attempt, while six people were killed, including the son of Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya, one of his aides, and a Qatari security officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis once again reveals the criminal nature of the occupation and its desire to undermine any chances of reaching an agreement,\u201d Hamas said.<\/p>\n
Al-Hindi said the Palestinian group holds the United States administration responsible for the attack, which the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned \u201cin the strongest terms\u201d<\/a>. Doha called the assault a \u201cblatant violation of all international laws and norms\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe State of Qatar affirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and its continued tampering with regional security, as well as any action targeting its security and sovereignty,\u201d ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The Hamas leaders, al-Hindi said, were meeting with a positive outlook on the latest US ceasefire proposal to end the war in Gaza that has killed more than 64,600 Palestinians in less than two years.<\/p>\n Al Jazeera correspondent Nida Ibrahim said from Doha that the unprecedented attack on the city, which has hosted negotiations for a potential ceasefire in Gaza, reflected how \u201cemboldened\u201d Israel has become \u201cby being able to carry out a genocide and getting away with it\u201d.<\/p>\n The Hamas office was established in the country at the request of the US to facilitate peace talks.<\/p>\n Trump notified Qatar ahead of Israeli attack<\/p>\n Explosions were reported<\/a> in Doha in the first such attack by Israel in Qatar, a key mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas and home to the region\u2019s largest US military base, Al Udeid airbase, which hosts US troops.<\/p>\n Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s office confirmed in a statement that the Israeli military carried out the attack in Doha on Tuesday against Hamas leaders. \u201cIsrael initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the administration of US President Donald Trump was notified by the US military that Israel was attacking Hamas, which \u201cvery unfortunately was located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cUnilaterally 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\u2019s goals,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.\u201d<\/p>\n