UK-based pan-Arab outlet Asharq Al Awsat reported on Wednesday that Hamas sources said two of the terror group's officials were injured in the Israeli strike in Qatar, with one sustaining serious injuries and being treated at a private hospital in the country.
The report confirmed what Israeli sources had suggested, believing the targeted strike on Hamas leaders in Doha may have failed as the targets were reportedly in another part of the facility. Iranian reports align with this, claiming Hamas negotiators left their phones in the targeted room to pray in a nearby area, escaping the attack.
Israel’s precise strike aimed to minimize civilian casualties and environmental damage in Qatar, avoiding a full destruction of the building. However, no definitive confirmation of the operation’s outcome exists, with Israeli officials noting there is no certainty the elimination attempt failed.
The attack caused significant damage to a villa in Doha, which remains sealed off by Qatari security forces. Hamas denied claims that its negotiation team was killed, but provided no evidence to support this.
Social media and Arab networks echoing Hamas’s statements have yet to confirm the survival of key figures like Khalil Al-Hayya, Zahar Jabarin, Mohammed Darwish or Musa Abu Marzouk. Hamas and Qatar reported the death of Khalil Al-Hayya’s son, Mam, in the strike.
A senior Hamas official, Hussam Badran, who was reportedly at the targeted site, issued a statement calling the attack a “crime” by “terrorist gangs threatening regional stability,” asserting, “These crimes won’t affect our political decisions or coordination with other organizations.”
The Qatari villa targeted by Israeli forces
(Video: Reuters)
Qatar received a solidarity visit from UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed on Wednesday, with Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expected to follow.
Despite Hamas’s strong ties to Qatar, a BBC-cited advisor to former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh revealed that around 1,000 Hamas members and their families recently relocated to Doha from Tehran.
The Qatari government provided villas for senior leaders and apartments for released prisoners and security teams. The strike’s fallout, coupled with Hamas’s unverified claims, continues to fuel uncertainty about its impact on the group’s leadership and ongoing regional dynamics.