When Israel took assassination campaigns far beyond its borders

September 11, 2025

Qatar is still reeling from the shock of a powerful and unprecedented Israeli airstrike in the heart of its capital, Doha, on Tuesday. The attack, which killed at least six people, struck a district that houses diplomatic missions and international schools, raising serious questions about the sanctity of Gulf states and threatening to derail months of delicate ceasefire negotiations.

The strike targeted senior Hamas leaders who had assembled for high-level discussions on a United States-backed proposal to halt the Gaza conflict and secure the release of hostages. While Hamas confirmed its top leadership and key negotiators survived, several of its members were killed. Among the dead was Hammam, son of Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’ chief in Gaza and its top representative in the talks.

Jihad Lubbad, head of al-Hayya’s office, and three bodyguards were also killed. The group later identified Abdullah Abdul Wahid, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmed al-Mamluk among the victims. Several others sustained injuries. The seriousness of the strike deepened when Qatar’s Interior Ministry confirmed that Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi al-Dosari, a member of its elite Internal Security Force, known locally as Lekhwiya, died at the scene.

He had been deployed to safeguard an area considered sensitive due to the presence of diplomatic missions. His death underscored the wider implications of the attack, turning what was a targeted strike against Hamas into an international incident touching directly on Qatari sovereignty. Hamas denounced the operation as a failed assassination attempt on its ceasefire team, accusing Israel of seeking to undermine negotiations.

Al Jazeera, Qatar’s statefunded broadcaster and a long-time adversary of Israel, described the attack as “brutal aggression.” A Pattern of Overseas Operations The Doha strike fits into a long history of Israeli operations against Palestinian leaders abroad. Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, has repeatedly been accused of carrying out targeted killings far beyond its borders, often causing diplomatic crises with the countries involved. The list of such operations stretches back decades. In July 2024, Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyah was killed in Tehran. Earlier that year, senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was assassinated in Beirut.

In 2010, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was killed in Dubai, sparking international outrage after it emerged that forged Western passports were used by the alleged Mossad team. Earlier cases include the 2004 killing of Izz el-Deen Sheikh Khalil in Damascus, the failed 1997 attempt on Khaled Meshaal in Amman, and the 1988 assassination of PLO military chief Khalil al-Wazir in Tunis. Each incident not only removed a high-profile figure but also strained Israel’s relations with regional states. Tuesday’s strike in Doha appears set to join that list, threatening Qatar’s carefully built image as a neutral broker. Qatar’s Diplomatic Response Qatar reacted swiftly, with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani holding urgent conversations with world leaders, including US President Donald Trump. According to the Qatar News Agency, Sheikh Tamim expressed deep anger over the attack, stating that Israel’s actions threatened stability and obstructed de-escalation efforts.

Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani warned that the strike could derail Qatar’s mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas. Doha has hosted multiple rounds of indirect talks between the two sides, and Tuesday’s events risked undoing that work. Qatari officials also rejected reports that they had been warned in advance. While some accounts suggested Washington alerted Doha through a special envoy, the Foreign Ministry said any such message came only as the explosions were already unfolding.

Spokesman Majed al-Ansari wrote on X that the call from the United States “came too late to prevent the attack.” US Reaction and Trump’s Balancing Act The strike placed Washington in a difficult position. Qatar hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, home to around 10,000 American troops and the forward headquarters of US Central Command, making it one of Washington’s closest Gulf allies. President Trump expressed frustration over the strike, describing it as “not a good situation” and distancing himself from the decision. “This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me,” he said.

While voicing displeasure, he stopped short of outright condemnation, calling the attack an opportunity that might still “serve peace.” Trump later revealed that his envoy, Steve Witkoff, had attempted to warn Qatar, but acknowledged the warning came too late. He said he had spoken directly with both Sheikh Tamim and Prime Minister Netanyahu, assuring the Qatari leader that such incidents would not be repeated on his soil.