By Dewi Rina Cahyani
Copyright tempo
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Palestinian armed group Hamas said its senior leader, Khalil Al-Hayya, survived an Israeli attack in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. However, five Hamas members and a member of Qatar’s Internal Security Forces were killed.The attack targeted senior Hamas leaders in Qatar for ceasefire negotiations, according to statements from officials on each side, reported by the ABC.Among the Hamas members killed was the son of Khalil Al-Hayya, who was the head of Hamas’ negotiating team in the ongoing talks with Israel. The other fatality was an aide to the leader.”This crime is an attack on the sovereignty of the brotherly state of Qatar, which, along with Egypt, plays a crucial and responsible role in sponsoring mediation and efforts aimed at stopping the aggression and achieving a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement,” Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday, as reported by the ABC.According to a BBC report, Hamas said its negotiating team met to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip at a residential compound in Doha. The compound was severely damaged by a series of explosions.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was “completely justified” because it targeted senior Hamas leaders who were orchestrating the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.Qatar has condemned the Israeli attack, saying it was a flagrant violation of international law.The White House said US President Donald Trump believed the incident was “very unfortunate” but that eliminating Hamas was a “noble goal.” Qatar is a key US ally in the region, hosting a major American air base.The country has hosted Hamas’ political bureau since 2012 and has served alongside the US and Egypt as a mediator in indirect negotiations between the group and Israel.Witnesses in Doha said they heard as many as eight separate explosions on Tuesday afternoon, with plumes of smoke rising over the Katara district in the north of the city. The attack hit a residential building housing several members of Hamas’ Political Bureau, according to Qatari authorities.Within minutes, Israel claimed responsibility for the blast. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet internal security service said in a statement that they had carried out a “precision strike targeting senior Hamas leadership.”Israeli media reported that the operation involved 15 Israeli fighter jets, which fired 10 rounds at a single target within seconds. An Israeli official was quoted as saying that the Hamas members targeted included Khalil al-Hayya, the chief negotiator and exiled Gaza leader, and Zaher Jabarin, the exiled West Bank leader.Editor’s Choice: Israel Admits to Targeted Strike on Hamas Leaders in Doha, QatarClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
