Turkey and Egypt warned Hamas leaders to tighten security around their meetings in the weeks before Israel’s airstrike in Doha, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
Israeli warplanes struck a residence used by Hamas officials in northern Doha on Tuesday, marking Israel’s first acknowledged attack on Qatari soil.
According to the report Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the operation at noon Tuesday after security chiefs presented the opportunity to target senior Hamas leaders.
The newspaper said at least 10 Israeli fighter jets fired long-range munitions from outside Qatari airspace, hitting the building where Hamas leaders had gathered.
The WSJ cited Israeli and Arab officials as saying the meeting was convened to discuss a new US ceasefire and hostage-release proposal conveyed by special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Hamas leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin were among those present, according to the report, though Hamas later said its senior leadership survived the strike while five lower-ranking members were killed.
The paper reported that Israel informed US military officials only minutes before launching the attack, without disclosing the exact target.
The WSJ said the White House was notified after the missiles were already in the air, with President Donald Trump later expressing “unhappiness” at the strike and its location.
According to the report Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani condemned the attack in a call with Trump, while Arab governments across the region criticized the strike as a violation of sovereignty.