Israel is reported to have chosen to hit Hamas leaders in Qatar after reconsidering striking them in Turkey due to the country’s NATO membership, according to Egyptian sources cited by the Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar and reported by The Jewish Chronicle on Thursday.
The strike took place on Tuesday in Doha, when Israel tried to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike, escalating its military campaign in the Middle East. The United States later described the raid as a unilateral attack that “does not advance American and Israeli interests.”
Al-Akhbar said Israeli officials initially considered targeting Hamas offices in Turkey, where several senior figures are based. The plan was reportedly scrapped amid fears that striking a NATO member could provoke a serious diplomatic crisis with Washington and other allies. Under Article 5 of NATO’s charter, an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all, potentially creating the risk of an intra-alliance crisis had Israel proceeded.
Instead, Israeli forces were reported to have targeted Hamas leaders in Doha. According to Israeli media, initial assessments suggested the strike had succeeded, but optimism quickly faded. Arab media reports claimed that the targeted Hamas leaders had stepped out for afternoon prayers when the first munitions hit, leaving their phones behind and leading Israeli intelligence to believe they were still inside.
The attack drew criticism from Washington. President Donald Trump said he was “not thrilled about the whole situation,” adding that it was “not a good situation.” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt clarified that the administration had not greenlit the operation, describing it as a unilateral strike inside Qatar that did not advance Israel’s or America’s goals.
Qatar condemned the raid as an act of “state terrorism,” stressing it had received no prior warning and only learned of the attack once explosions were already underway. Doha said it reserved the right to retaliate, though it offered no specifics.
Meanwhile, Egyptian officials reportedly warned, according to Al-Akhbar, that any attempt to carry out similar strikes on Egyptian soil would have “catastrophic consequences.”
Separately, sources told the pro-Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Egypt would not completely close the door on negotiations but would not allow the current situation to continue unchanged after the Doha strike. “Egypt does not choose its partners in Israel, but it chooses how and when to deal with them,” the sources said, clarifying that as long as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues his current policies, Egypt’s engagement with him will be minimal in a way that serves Egypt’s national security interests.
Despite the failed strike, Hamas officials told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group is willing to consider resuming negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal. They said contacts with mediators would be renewed once the situation stabilizes, insisting that any talks must meet Palestinian demands, including a complete cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.