Jerusalem, 9 Sep

Israel launched a strike on Hamas' leadership in Qatar on Tuesday as they discussed a US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, officials said.

It marked a stunning extension of Israel's campaign against the militant group and risked upending negotiations aimed at winding down the war and releasing Israeli hostages.

Black smoke rose over the skyline of the Qatari capital, Doha, with authorities there acknowledging the strike. It wasn't immediately clear if anyone was hurt in the attack.

The assault marks the second time the energy-rich nation has been directly attacked in the nearly two years of war that have gripped the wider Middle East since Hamas' 7 October attack on southern Israel. Qatar has served as a key negotiator in efforts to end the conflict. It also calls into question whether any negotiations immediately will continue.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, saying "all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.”

Attack came Tuesday afternoon

It wasn't immediately clear how the attack was carried out, though Israeli military spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee referred to Israel's air force carrying out the strike. Qatar Airways planes continued landing in Doha amid the strike, even as at least one Qatari air force aircraft took off on patrol over the country.

Israeli officials have sent mixed messages throughout the war, relying on Qatari mediation while also questioning its willingness to put pressure on Hamas. In a statement after the attack, which didn't specifically name Qatar, Israel's military said Hamas' leaders were “directly responsible for the brutal October 7th massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel.”

The Israelis said it used “precise munitions and additional intelligence” in the strike, without elaborating. An Israeli official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details beyond the statement, confirmed that the Israelis targeted Hamas in Qatar.

Qatar condemned what it referred to as a “cowardly Israeli attack” on Hamas' political headquarters in Doha. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari called it a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms.”

Qatar “confirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty,” al-Ansari added.

Qatar twice attacked during Mideast wars

Qatar's vast Al-Udeid Air Base, home to the US military's forward headquarters for its Middle East-based Central Command, came under Iranian attack during the 12-day Iran-Israel war that saw American bombers attack Iranian nuclear sites.

The US Embassy in Qatar said that it had “instituted a shelter-in-place order for their facilities. US citizens are advised to shelter-in-place,” it added.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said that he was giving his “last warning” to Hamas regarding a possible ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday it was his nation's decision to carry out the strike.

“Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it and Israel takes full responsibility,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

It remains unclear what regional reaction will come from the strike. Immediately afterward, Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan wrote online: “Full solidarity with our dear Qatar.”

That comes as the United Arab Emirates already has warned Israel its possible annexation of the West Bank threatened the Abraham Accords, an agreement by which Abu Dhabi normalized relations with Israel five years ago.

Arab officials say there is a new US proposal for a ceasefire. A senior Hamas official called it a “humiliating surrender document,” but the militant group said that it would discuss the proposal and respond within days.

The proposal, presented by Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, calls for a negotiated end of the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza once the hostages are released and a ceasefire is established, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials familiar with the talks, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door discussions.

Mediators had previously focused on brokering a temporary ceasefire and the release of some hostages, with the two sides then holding talks on a more permanent truce. Witkoff walked away from those talks in July, after which Hamas accepted a proposal that the mediators said was almost identical to an earlier one that Israel had approved.

An official in Egypt, which also has been meditating a potential ceasefire, told the AP that the strike came when a meeting by Hamas officials over the talks had been scheduled for the site. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn't authorised to talk to reporters.