US President Donald Trump “blessed” Israel’s attack on Doha, Qatar which targeted senior Hamas officials, US and regional officials have told Middle East Eye.
The bombings look set to usher in a new chapter of instability for the Middle East.
According to media reports, around 12 air strikes hit residential buildings in Doha at around 4pm local time.
Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled Meshal, Zaher Jabarin and other senior Hamas officials survived the attack, MEE reported.
The attack killed Hayya’s son, Hammam al-Hayya, and his office director, Jihad Lubbad, sources told MEE. Several others were wounded.
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Both regional and US officials said the US was notified of the attack in advance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the attack was “a wholly independent Israeli operation,” adding that, “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
Some US officials who would normally be in contact with the US operations centre in Doha reported radio silence to MEE, implying that communications went dark to facilitate the operation.
It’s unclear what specific projectiles Israel used to attack Doha, but the US and Qatar both coordinate air defence – as they did when Iran targeted the United States’ Al-Udeid base in June.
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A separate US official told MEE that given the recent Iranian strikes and tensions in the region, security in Qatar – including advanced air defence warnings – would be activated.
The US ambassador’s residence is located in Doha’s Katara District, which was targeted by Israel.
Israel began threatening to attack Hamas officials abroad earlier this summer, with Israeli news site Maariv reporting in June that Israel had a Hamas “hit list”.
But regional and US officials widely believed that Israel would refrain from strikes on Doha.
Qatar is a major non-Nato ally of the US.
Although Doha is not as popular among expats as Dubai, it has slowly emerged as a more discreet hub for westerners and global businesspeople.
This is a developing story.
