Tensions in the Middle East deepened on Tuesday after Israeli airstrikes hit the Qatari capital, Doha, killing at least five Hamas members and a Qatari officer.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), 15 fighter jets carried out the attack, dropping 10 precision-guided bombs on a compound believed to be housing senior Hamas leaders.

Explosions shook the city, with smoke rising from a heavily damaged building near the Woqod petrol station on Wadi Rawdan Street, close to the upscale West Bay Lagoon area.

Israeli media reported the strike may have targeted Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s chief negotiator, and Zaher Jabarin, a senior West Bank operative, though their status remains unconfirmed.

Hamas later confirmed the deaths of five members but said its negotiating team survived. The group also claimed that a Qatari officer was among the casualties. Qatar’s Interior Ministry identified him as Warrant Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Humaidi Al-Dosari, a member of the elite Lekhwiya internal security force. Several other Qatari officers were reportedly injured.

In an official statement, Qatar confirmed the attack:
“Relevant authorities continue to secure the targeted area with the Explosives Unit of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), implementing contingency plans to ensure effective containment and control.”

The Gulf state has hosted Hamas’s political bureau since 2012 and played a central role in ceasefire talks involving Israel, Hamas, and the United States.

Israeli leaders defended the strike, with President Isaac Herzog calling it “important and correct,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a “turning point.” Netanyahu added:

“Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility… this can open the door to an end of the war in Gaza.”

However, the attack sparked strong criticism from the United Nations. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the strike as a “flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty,” warning it could derail ongoing negotiations.

“Qatar has been playing a very positive role in achieving a ceasefire and the release of hostages. All parties must work towards peace, not destroy it,” Guterres said.

The development comes just days after Hamas signaled openness to a US-backed truce proposal, which would see the release of 48 hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Hamas has accused Israel of deliberately sabotaging the talks and blamed Washington for enabling the attack.