Israel has launched an attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar.Black plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the streets of Doha Tuesday evening. According to CNN, among those targeted was Hamas' chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, who had just a day earlier met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.The White House said the US military notified their officials about the attack. The U.S. in turn notified Qatar.."The IDF and ISA conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization," the Israel Defense Forces wrote in a statement. "For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization's operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel."The IDF made it clear that, "prior to the strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence.""Our enemies must know one thing: That since the establishment of the state of Israel, Jewish blood will not be spilt," Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu told Sky News."We are in the midst of a campaign to defeat Hamas and release all of the hostages. We have delivered great blows to all parts of the axis of evil. Together we stand, together we fight, and with God's help we will be victorious."“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar does not advance Israel or America’s goals — the president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of this attack,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt..Hamas released its first official statement since the Israeli strike against a meeting in Doha, stating that all members of the delegation survived the attack, while Jihad Labad (Abu Bilal), Director of Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya's Office; Hammam Al-Hayya (Abu Yahya), Son of Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya; Abdullah Abdul Wahid (Abu Khalil); Moamen Hassouna (Abu Omar); Ahmed Al-Mamluk (Abu Malik), were killed, alongside a Qatari security officer.In a statement of its own, the Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack, calling the IDF "cowardly" for "targeting residential buildings housing several members of the Hamas Political Bureau.""This criminal attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms," they continued, "and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris."Qatar vowed to investigate the incident and provide updates as they become available..Netanyahu defended the attack, calling it "completely justified in light of the fact that this Hamas leadership initiated and organized the October 7 massacre, and has not ceased to launch murderous actions against the State of Israel and its citizens since then." In a joint statement, he and Defense Minister Israel Katz linked the attack to a shooting in East Jerusalem on Monday that resulted in the deaths of six Israelis..A number of international leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, condemned the attack, arguing that it, and attacks like it, "pose a grave risk of escalating conflict throughout the region, and directly imperil efforts to advance peace & security."
