More than a month has passed since Israel’s failed attempt to assassinate senior Hamas officials in the Qatari capital, Doha — a strike for which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later apologized. On Thursday, new details were published in Turkey about the meeting of the terror group’s leaders, the six waves of airstrikes, and the narrow escape of Hamas figures.
According to reports by Turkish outlets TRT and Yeni Şafak, Israel carried out six attacks, each using two missiles, about 15 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump submitted his final proposal for a hostage deal. The reports said Hamas’s internal investigation found that the son of Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas’s negotiating team, changed the leaders’ location at the last minute, allowing them to escape unharmed. Al-Hayya’s son, Maam, was killed in the strike.
Footage: Moments of the Israeli strike in Doha
Hamas negotiators received Trump’s proposal at 1 a.m. the day before the strike and decided to meet about it at 2 p.m. that afternoon. The officials gathered at a compound used as the group’s headquarters, arriving in disguise under strict security instructions. Earlier that day, Maam al-Hayya, his office director Jihad Lubad, and Hamas’s chief of security held a preparatory meeting to establish what Turkish media called “a strict and unusual security protocol.”
On the day of the meeting, Hamas leaders arrived one by one. Security teams took precautions to avoid technological tracking: all personal and wireless communication devices were confiscated, and the participants were given special secured phones provided by Hamas security forces. The step reportedly prevented Israel from precisely locating the delegation through signal tracking.
After the leaders arrived at the headquarters, Maam al-Hayya insisted they move to another building, advising them “to follow the security regulations.” The leaders were then transferred to a different structure under heavy protection. The meeting was delayed as Khalil al-Hayya spoke by phone with the Qatari mediator. The discussion finally began at 2:12 p.m., focusing on Trump’s proposal, while Hamas security personnel made “arrangements in the area.”
At 3:46 p.m., the Israeli airstrike began. Missiles hit the building housing al-Hayya’s family and his office. In the first strike, Maam al-Hayya was killed. The second strike killed Jihad Lubad and two other Hamas members, Muaman Hassouna and Ahmad Abd al-Malik. The third strike killed Abdullah Abd al-Wahid, the bodyguard of senior Hamas official Bassem Naim, who was attempting to rescue the wounded.
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Six strikes, two missiles each: the building in Qatar before and after
(Photo: Planet Labs PBC / AFP)
The fourth and fifth strikes directly hit al-Hayya’s family home, wounding family members, and the sixth targeted the Qatari special security unit guarding the area. At 3:51 p.m., Hamas’s security chief ordered the activation of an evacuation plan. Emergency vehicles were summoned, and the leaders were taken separately to secure locations. The wounded were rescued from the rubble and taken to a hospital. Once everyone was safe, the organization began briefing the media to prevent “public panic.”
The targeted site is in Doha’s sensitive diplomatic district, where several embassies are located within a few hundred meters of one another. Multiple Hamas offices are situated on nearby streets. Construction on the compound began in 2021 and was completed in 2023. Hamas began using the site in 2024. The complex includes five separate villas, an additional service building, Khalil al-Hayya’s office and residence, Hamas headquarters, Qatari security forces, and an area designated for emergencies.