On September 9, 2025, Israeli aviation bombed Doha, aimed at Hamas leaders. It is the first time that a mediating state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been directly affected. The attack, which killed Hamas, sparked a diplomatic shock wave throughout the Gulf.
Tuesday, September 9, several explosions rocked Doha shortly before 3 p.m. Thick columns of smoke rose in the sky. Israeli defense forces have confirmed that it was an air strike targeting high -ranking members of Hamas.
Hamas said in a statement that six people had been killed, including the son of his chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, the head of his office, three bodyguards and a member of the Qatari security forces. “But the enemy failed to reach the members of the delegation in charge of negotiations,” said the movement, adding that political leadership had escaped an assassination attempt.
According to a Hamas leader interviewed by Al Jazeera, the strike targeted a meeting devoted to a cease-fire proposal put forward by Donald Trump.
Concern
The Qatari government has condemned a “loose attack” and a “blatant violation of international law”, saying that the security of citizens and residents of Qatar had been directly threatened.
Doha also denied having been warned by Washington before the operation: “The call of an American official took place when the explosions were heard in Doha,” said the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari.
The neighboring monarchies displayed their solidarity. Saudi Arabia has denounced a “criminal act”, while Abhabi spoke of a “traitor attack”, despite its normalization with Israel. These reactions reflect the shared concern to see the war extend to the heart of the Gulf monarchies.
The Zionist entity takes a new step
Since October 7, 2023, Qatar has played a central mediator role, at the request of Washington, between Israel and Hamas, allowing two temporary ceases accompanied by Israeli hostage releases. Doha, a rich gas emirate, is both strategic ally of the United States and close to Islamist movements, including Hamas, which he has been hosting in exile for many years.
Israel regularly criticizes this double role and, with this strike, takes a step: it now extends its operations to the territory of a country which is not a declared adversary but an intermediary. For Qatar as for its neighbors, the message is clear: their proximity to the United States does not protect them from direct repercussions of the conflict.
