Explosions in Doha as IDF says it struck Hamas leadership

The IDF and Shin Bet said on Tuesday they had carried out a “precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation,” after reports of large explosions shook Doha, Qatar.

In a joint statement, the security bodies said: “For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organisation’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal 7 October massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel.”

The statement did not name individuals or explicitly confirm the location of the strike, but it came just minutes after eyewitnesses and social media footage showed plumes of smoke rising from multiple sites in the Qatari capital. Hamas’s exiled leadership has been based there for more than a decade.

The IDF said steps were taken “in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence.”

It added: “The IDF and ISA will continue to operate with determination in order to defeat the Hamas terrorist organisation responsible for the 7 October massacre.”

If confirmed, the Doha strike would mark an extraordinary expansion of Israel’s campaign against Hamas, with potentially significant diplomatic consequences. Qatar has played a central role in mediation between Israel and Hamas during the ongoing war.

Local authorities in Doha have not yet issued any statement on the reported explosions.