Hamas: six people were killed in a strike on the movement's delegation in Doha
The IDF has attacked a Hamas delegation that participated in the negotiations on a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, taking place in Doha. Before the attack, Israel notified the United States about it and, according to media reports, received the "green light" from President Donald Trump. The operation, which was dubbed the "Fire Summit," targeted senior members of the movement responsible for the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas reported that six people were killed in the strikes on Doha, but the delegation members were not injured.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), together with the General Security Service (SHABAK), attacked senior members of the radical Palestinian organization Hamas, the IDF press service reported .
"The IDF and SHABAK, using the Air Force, recently carried out a targeted attack on the top leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization," the publication says.
The operation was called the "Summit of Fire." The press service did not specify where exactly the strikes were carried out. The Israeli Army noted that "before the strike, measures were taken to reduce damage to the civilian population." Army Radio journalist (Galei Zahal) Doron Kadosh wrote on the social network X that the operation had been planned for several months, and about 15 fighters were involved in the strike.
Shortly before the official statement of the Israeli army, the media reported a series of explosions in the capital of Qatar, Doha. Mash said that office high-rises began to sway from them. The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country, Majid bin Mohammed al-Ansari, confirmed that the cause of these explosions was an Israeli strike on members of the Hamas politburo.
"The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack on residential buildings where several members of the Hamas political bureau lived in the Qatari capital of Doha. This criminal attack is a blatant violation of all international laws and regulations, and poses a serious threat to the safety and security of Qatari citizens and residents," al-Ansari wrote on Twitter.
In addition, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit condemned the attack.. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Bagai also accused Israel of violating the UN Charter, calling this step extremely dangerous and criminal.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry also announced the launch of an investigation into the strike at the highest possible level.
Who was the target
Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN, Danny Danon, said that the strike was aimed at Hamas leaders who took part in the preparation of the attack on October 7, 2023 (on this day, Hamas militants invaded Israel and took hostages). Al Jazeera, citing one of the movement's leaders, said that a Hamas delegation was attacked, which was negotiating a proposal by US President Donald Trump for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. According to Al Arabiya, they were suspended after the strike.
"According to estimates in Israel, there is a high probability that six senior Hamas members have been eliminated. The results of the strike are still expected," Channel 12 reported.
According to Al Hadath, at least five Hamas members were in the building at the time of the strike: the leader of the movement in the Gaza Strip and the head of the negotiating team, Khalil al-Heya, the head of the office abroad, Khaled Mashaal, and the commander of the radical cell in the West Bank, Zaher Jabarin, as well as members of the Hamas political bureau, Nizar Audallah and Ghazi Hamad.. Four people besides Hamad were killed, the TV channel claims.
Al Arabiya, citing a source in Hamas, reported on the deaths of Mashaal, al-Haya and Jabarin. At the same time, an Al Jazeera source, as well as two Reuters sources, noted that the members of the delegation survived. RIA Novosti also reported that the Israeli operation was unsuccessful.
At the same time, Suheil al-Hindi, a member of the Hamas Politburo, confirmed to Al Jazeera that
In total, six people were killed in the strike, Hamas said. At the same time, the death of members of the negotiating delegation in the movement was denied.
Did the US approve the attack?
Israel's Channel 12 reported that before the attack, West Jerusalem notified Washington of its intention to eliminate Hamas leaders in Qatar. In addition, a narrow circle of Israeli ministers was informed about the strike, but not the expanded cabinet on political and security issues. An Israeli official told Ynet that the country's political and security leadership had reached a consensus on the operation.
"After yesterday's terrorist attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed all security structures to prepare for the elimination of the Hamas leadership. The Minister of Defense fully supported this decision. The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister stressed that the actions were absolutely justified, since it was the Hamas leadership that was behind the organization and conduct of the massacre on October 7 [2023] and has since continued to coordinate murderous attacks against the State of Israel and its citizens, including claiming responsibility for yesterday's terrorist attack in Jerusalem," the statement said . In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz.
At the same time, the Prime Minister's office stated that the operation was "a completely Israeli initiative."
"It was started by Israel, carried out by Israel, and Israel bears full responsibility for it," Dmitry Gendelman, an adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister's office, wrote on his Telegram channel.
Eva Vishnevskaya
