Israel has carried out deadly airstrikes in Qatar, killing at least five Hamas operatives, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Residents of Doha reported heavy explosions on Tuesday evening. Verified videos showed thick smoke billowing from a damaged building near the Woqod fuel station on Wadi Rawdan Street, close to the wealthy West Bay Lagoon neighborhood.

The IDF confirmed that 15 fighter jets launched the attack, dropping 10 guided bombs on a compound said to be sheltering senior Hamas figures.

Israeli media suggested the target included Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s top negotiator, and Zaher Jabarin, a leading commander in the West Bank. Their current status remains unknown.

Hamas acknowledged that five of its members were killed but said its main negotiation team survived. The group also claimed that a Qatari security officer was among the casualties.

Qatar’s Interior Ministry later confirmed that Warrant Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Humaidi Al-Dosari, from the elite Lekhwiya security force, died in the strike. Several other officers were also wounded.

The ministry released a statement noting that its Explosives Unit was working to secure the affected area and implement emergency safety measures.

Since 2012, Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political office and has been a key player in talks between Hamas, Israel, and the United States aimed at achieving a truce.

Reacting to the development, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the strike was “necessary and justified,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a “turning point” in the conflict.

He added that Israel “initiated and carried out” the operation and fully accepts responsibility.

However, the United Nations strongly condemned the strike. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres labeled it a “serious breach of Qatar’s sovereignty” and cautioned that the attack could disrupt progress in ceasefire and hostage negotiations.

“Qatar has been crucial in efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release. All parties must focus on peace, not escalation,” Guterres warned.

The attack comes shortly after Hamas signaled openness to a US-supported peace proposal, which included the release of 48 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Hamas accused Israel of intentionally derailing the negotiations and held Washington partly accountable for the strike in Doha.