Prayer saved senior Hamas leaders: Israel's failed attack on Qatar

Israel carried out an airstrike on senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday. Smoke billowed into the sky, but the main targets were still alive. Local and Arab media reports said the leaders had left the main meeting place for prayers before the attack, and Israeli forces had difficulty pinpointing the exact location of the attack because they were on their mobile phones.

The Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper said the leaders were in a different location outside the main building. They survived the attack as the main building was targeted. The target of the attack was Hamas’s political bureau deputy chairman Khalil al-Haya, but al-Haya and his deputy Khaled Meshaal were also safe.

Al Jazeera reported that the main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the latest peace deal proposed by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. An unidentified senior Qatari official said the leaders had traveled to Doha from Turkey.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said, “The strike was carried out on a specific target, which will affect the activities of Hamas leaders for years. Precautions were taken to minimize civilian casualties before the attack.”

Barak Ravid, a journalist for Israel’s Channel 12, said the operation was called “Summit of Fire” and was designed to assassinate Hamas officials. US President Donald Trump reportedly gave the “green light” to the attack. However, Qatar strongly condemned the incident, saying, “This attack violates international law and poses a serious threat to Qatar’s security.”

In Israel’s domestic political context, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich praised the attack, calling it “the right decision.” He wrote on social media, “There is no concession to terrorists and there will be no future. Israel’s long arm will surround them anywhere in the world.”

Opposition leader Yair Lapid also congratulated the Air Force, IDF and Shin Bet, saying, "They are capable of defeating our enemy."

The incident is likely to further strain Qatar-Israeli relations, and the international community is watching.