On an otherwise ordinary Tuesday in Doha, Qatar’s capital, the city was rocked by explosions that reverberated far beyond its diplomatic quarter. The Israeli military, in a move that stunned the region, launched a targeted strike against buildings housing Hamas’ political leadership. The attack, which occurred on September 9, 2025, has since triggered a cascade of diplomatic fallout, with global leaders scrambling to assess the consequences for peace in the Middle East.
According to CBS News, the Israeli operation killed several people, including five lower-ranked Hamas members and a member of Qatar’s Internal Security Force. The deceased were buried at Doha’s Grand Mosque on Thursday, September 11. Hamas swiftly claimed that all its top leaders survived the strike, though it confirmed the deaths of Khalil al-Hayya’s son—himself a prominent Hamas figure—and three of his bodyguards. Suheil al-Hindi, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, told Al Jazeera, “The son of Khalil al-Hayya and the head of al-Hayya’s office were killed.” Qatar’s Interior Ministry corroborated that one of its security personnel died, with others wounded.
Qatar, long recognized as a key interlocutor in the region, condemned the Israeli strike as a “criminal attack” and a “blatant violation of all international laws and norms.” The Foreign Ministry in Doha stated the assault “poses a serious threat to the security and safety of the State of Qatar and its people.” The Qatari government’s outrage was echoed by Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who described the attack as “state terror” and directly accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “dragging the region to a place where it unfortunately cannot be repaired.” As Al Thani told CNN, “What Netanyahu has done yesterday, he just killed any hope for those hostages.” The reference was to the remaining 48 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, of whom only 20 are believed to be alive.
The U.S. found itself in a delicate position. While Israel notified the White House of its intentions shortly before the strike, the notification lacked critical specifics, such as the exact location. This, according to a U.S. official cited by the Associated Press, “made it insufficient to allow for any timely follow-on warnings to countries in the region.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed, “The military notified the White House of the impending attack.” President Donald Trump, in a social media post, acknowledged that he “immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did,” but lamented it was “unfortunately too late to stop the attack.” Qatari officials said the warning arrived only ten minutes after the explosions began.
Trump was quick to distance the U.S. from the operation, stating, “This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me.” He added, “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.” The former president emphasized that he had spoken with both Netanyahu and Qatari leaders, assuring Doha’s prime minister that “such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”
Netanyahu, however, doubled down on the Israeli action. Drawing a comparison to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, Netanyahu declared, “We went after the terrorist masterminds who committed the October 7th massacre. And we did so in Qatar, which gives safe haven, it harbors terrorists, it finances Hamas.” He issued a stark ultimatum: “You either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will.” Netanyahu insisted that the strike was “wholly independent” and that Israel “takes full responsibility.” He suggested, “This action can open the door to an end of the war,” referencing President Trump’s ceasefire proposal.
The strike has drawn fierce condemnation from across the globe. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres denounced the attack, urging, “All parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.” The European Union, via spokesperson Anouar El Anouni, called the airstrike “a breach of international law and Qatar’s territorial integrity, and risks a further escalation of violence in the region.” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry described the strikes as “evidence of Israel’s expansionist policies and its adoption of terrorism of state strategy.” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a social media post, warned, “Those who turn terrorism into a state policy will never achieve their goals.”
Egypt, another key mediator, called the attack “a serious precedent and an unacceptable development, and constitutes a direct assault on the sovereignty of the sisterly State of Qatar, which plays a pivotal role in mediation efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.” Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty insisted Israel should be held accountable for its “criminal aggression.” Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed concern for the hostages’ safety, stating, “Israel’s attack in Doha not only violates the territorial sovereignty of Qatar, but also endangers all our efforts for the release of the hostages.”
Other nations, including Morocco, Libya, Sudan, Pakistan, and Iran, issued statements of solidarity with Qatar and condemned the Israeli strike as a violation of international law. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also weighed in, saying, “I condemn Israel’s strikes on Doha, which violate Qatar’s sovereignty and risk further escalation across the region. The priority must be an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a huge surge in aid into Gaza.”
The wider conflict’s volatility was underscored by Houthi militants in Yemen, who launched ballistic missiles and drones at southern Israel on the same day as the Doha strike, according to the Associated Press. Israeli authorities reported intercepting at least one missile, though airspace was briefly closed after a previous attack on Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military is pressing ahead with its plans to take over Gaza City, considered Hamas’ last stronghold. Thousands of Palestinians have fled the city amid ongoing offensives, though many remain, citing exhaustion and lack of resources to relocate. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has only worsened, with the world’s leading experts on food crises warning of famine conditions.
Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East at Al-Udeid Air Base, has convened an emergency Arab-Islamic leaders summit to address the attack and its implications. Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, Qatar’s ambassador to the U.N., wrote that the state “is taking necessary measures to contain its repercussions” and “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security.”
As the region grapples with the aftermath, the prospects for a negotiated ceasefire in Gaza appear bleaker than ever. The Israeli strike in Doha has not only heightened tensions but has also put the fragile web of diplomatic efforts under immense strain, leaving the fate of hostages and the hope for peace hanging in the balance.