AGENCIES

Israel launched an airstrike against arch foe Hamas leaders in Qatar yesterday, expanding military actions that have ranged across the Middle East to include the Gulf Arab state where the Palestinian Islamist group has long had its political base.

Qatar, a key security partner of the United States and host to al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military facility in the Middle East, has acted as a mediator alongside Egypt in talks on a ceasefire in the almost two-year-old war in Gaza.

Qatar condemned yesterday’s attack as “cowardly” and called it a flagrant violation of international law. The assault is likely to deal a serious, if not fatal, blow to the ceasefire efforts, especially since negotiations have often taken place in Qatar.

Two Hamas sources told Reuters that Hamas officials in the ceasefire negotiating team survived the attack, which followed an evacuation order in Gaza City, where Israel is waging an offensive to try to destroy the group and its military capabilities in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli officials told Reuters the strike was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Khalil al-Hayya, its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator. His son was killed in the attack, two Hamas sources told Reuters.

Israel is still gathering information on the strike and is yet to determine whether any Hamas officials or leaders were killed, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters.

Hamas said six people were killed in the strike, including a Qatari security officer. Three bodyguards and Gaza ceasefire negotiator Khalil al-Hayya’s aide and son were all killed in the attack, the group said, affirming “the enemy’s failure to assassinate our brothers in the negotiating delegation”.

In Washington, a White House official said Israel had notified the US about the strike beforehand.

The airstrike took place shortly after Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a shooting on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

The Israeli operation drew strong reactions.

The leaders of Britain and France condemned the strike.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the attack violated Qatar’s sovereignty and risked “further escalation” in the volatile region, while Macron called them “unacceptable” whatever the reasoning behind them might be.

The United Arab Emirates, which normalised relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords

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