Israel on Tuesday carried out an attack on senior Hamas officials in Qatar’s capital city of Doha.
The Israel Defense Forces announced the “precise strike” in a social media post, accusing the targeted leaders of being “directly responsible” for the massacre of Israelis by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
The IDF’s post did not identify the location of the strike. But a senior Israeli official confirmed to NBC News that it occurred in Doha.
The strike on the capital of a foreign sovereign nation — one where the U.S. maintains a major military base — is a significant escalation of Israel’s efforts to destroy Hamas.
Smoke rises after several blasts were heard in Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025.
Ibraheem Abu Mustafa | Reuters
The Trump administration was notified by Israel just before the attack, a White House official told CNBC.
Majed al Ansari, the spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned “the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential headquarters housing several members of the political bureau of the movement in the Qatari capital, Doha.”
A damaged building, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders, according to an Israeli official, in Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025.
Ibraheem Abu Mustafa | Reuters
“This criminal assault constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar,” the spokesman said in a translated X post.
A leading Hamas source told Al Jazeera, the Qatari media network, that the strike targeted the group’s negotiating delegation, NBC reported.
Smoke rises from behind residential areas after the explosions in Doha, Qatar on September 09, 2025. Attack on Doha targets senior Hamas officials, top Israeli officials tell Channel 12.
Ali Altunkaya | Anadolu | Getty Images
The delegation was attacked during a meeting to discuss President Donald Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to NBC.
The U.S. Embassy in Doha issued a shelter-in-place order at its facilities in response to reports of the strike.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
— CNBC’s Megan Cassella contributed to this report.
