Nearly two weeks after an unprecedented Israeli airstrike on a Hamas leadership meeting in Doha, Israeli officials said Thursday it will be difficult to bring the terrorist group back to negotiations over the release of hostages.
Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hamas has “no shred of trust” in Israel or the United States and stressed that the future of the talks now rests largely in American hands. Washington is reportedly working on an initiative to revive the stalled negotiations, while Qatar, despite its harsh condemnation of the strike, has signaled willingness to continue as mediator.
Israeli airstrike on villa hosting Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar
The Sept. 9 airstrike, code-named Operation Summit of Fire, targeted a gathering of Hamas leaders who were discussing a U.S. ceasefire and hostage release proposal. IDF and Shin Bet officials said those present were directly involved in planning the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and managing the ongoing war. Qatar denounced the strike as a violation of its sovereignty and international law.
While Hamas leaders quickly sought to project resilience, uncertainty lingers over the fate of several top officials. A Hamas source told Ynet that about 17 people were present at the meeting. Only a handful, including senior figures Basem Naim, Ghazi Hamad and Taher El Nounou, have appeared in public since the blast. Others, such as Khaled Mashaal, Zaher Jabarin and Muhammad Darwish, have not been seen, fueling speculation about injuries or deaths.
Hamad, speaking to Al Jazeera this week, described hearing “12 missiles fall in under a minute” and credited divine intervention for survival. He and El Nounou accused Israel of trying to crush the Palestinian cause, while warning Arab states to stand against Israeli actions.
Other Hamas figures, including Izzat al-Risheq, Suhail al-Hindi, Jamal Issa and Osama Hamdan, appeared publicly after the strike at a mourning tent for a Qatari security officer killed in the blast. But notable absences, such as Moussa Abu Marzouk and Khalil al-Hayya — the latter reported to have lost his son in the attack — have raised further questions.
Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported that several members of Hamas’s political bureau were injured, including one critically, and are being treated at a private hospital under heavy security. Their identities were not disclosed.
Despite its failure to eliminate the entire Hamas leadership, Israeli officials said the operation rattled the group and may discourage leaders from remaining in Qatar. “In that sense, it was a strategic achievement,” one official said.
For now, the future of the hostage negotiations remains uncertain. Israeli officials insist Hamas is weakened and wary, while U.S. and Qatari mediators try to keep the talks alive amid deep mistrust.