Explosions shook the Qatari capital, Doha, on September 9 after what officials described as an Israeli strike on senior Hamas political leaders, local media reported.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising above the city, prompting sharp condemnation from Qatar's Emir and Iran.

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the operation, describing it as a “precise strike targeting the senior Hamas leadership,” though without specifying the exact location. A senior Israeli official later told the Walla news outlet that the strike indeed targeted Hamas figures in Doha.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet internal security agency said, “The IDF and ISA conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation. For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organisation's operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7th massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel.”

Prior to the strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence. The IDF and ISA will continue to operate with determination in order to defeat the Hamas terrorist organisation responsible for the October 7th massacre.

A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the strike hit while the group’s negotiators were discussing US President Donald Trump’s recent proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack as a “blatant violation of international law,” 

Iran denounced the strike as a dangerous escalation, with foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei saying, “This action by the Israeli regime is a continuation of the crimes it has committed by violating all norms and international rules," he said.

He added, "This action is extremely dangerous and criminal; a blatant violation of all international laws and regulations, an infringement of Qatar’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and an attack on Palestinian negotiators.”

Talks to bring an end to the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza have reached a pivotal point, with US President Donald Trump pressing both Israel and Hamas to strike a deal on a ceasefire and prisoner swap.

During a visit on September 8 to the scene of a bus attack in Jerusalem that left six Israelis dead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to pursue those behind the violence and defeat the country’s adversaries.

Since Hamas assaulted Israel on October 7, 2023, Iran and its allied groups across the region have repeatedly come under pressure and sustained heavy losses on the broader confrontation with their long-standing rival.