Tension as Israel Bombs Doha, Qatar, Video Trends: "State Terrorism"
- The Israeli military said explosions seen and heard in the Qatari capital, Doha, are the result of an assassination attempt against Hamas leaders
- The attack was the first by Israel in Qatar, a key mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas
- Israel has been bombarding Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria as well as carrying out daily attacks in the occupied West Bank in Palestine
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering global affairs.
Doha, Qatar - Israel launched an airstrike against Hamas leaders in Qatar on Tuesday, September 9, expanding its military actions that have ranged across the Middle East to include the Gulf Arab state where the Palestinian Islamist group has long had its political base.
Reuters and Sky News noted the development.
Source: Twitter
Israel bombs Doha, Qatar
Qatar, which has acted as a mediator alongside Egypt in talks on a ceasefire in the almost two-year-old war in Gaza, condemned the attack as "cowardly" and called it a flagrant violation of international law.
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It was not immediately clear whether anyone was killed in the attack, but Israeli military said the attacks were targeted at Hamas leaders in Doha.
In the same vein, Qatar's foreign ministry confirmed the attack.
A video and image of the attack can be viewed below:
The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, said six people were killed, including five of its members. Hamas leaders have openly used the Qatari capital as a headquarters outside of Gaza for years. One of the main targets of the strike was Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, but he was not listed among the dead.
The attack was “months in the making,” and involved more than 10 fighter jets which fired more than 10 military weapons, Israeli sources divulged.
Condemnations trail Israel's attack
Meanwhile, several nations have condemned the attack, with Qatar calling the strikes “state terrorism.”
US president Donald Trump said he was “not thrilled about the whole situation.”
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Trump distances himself from Israeli strike on Qatar, says it was planned only by Netanyahu
Source: Getty Images
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also condemned the strikes and called Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani to offer support.
The crown prince offered Saudi Arabia’s “full support for Qatar".
Similarly, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the only major Gulf country with diplomatic ties to Israel, condemned the attack “in the strongest terms,” and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed said the country was in “full solidarity with dear Qatar.”
Israel’s strike in Doha draws sovereignty outrage – Analyst
Israel’s airstrike in Doha has been described as a major turning point in the ongoing Middle East conflict, raising alarm over sovereignty violations and diplomatic fallout.
Tsvetan Krustev, a political, economic, and international security analyst with a focus on the Middle East, told Legit.ng that the attack marked a first in Israel’s military campaign.
“Israel’s strike in Doha marked the first attack on Qatar in its ongoing military campaign, and the sixth country targeted in a period of just 72 hours,” Krustev told Legit.ng.
He explained that Israeli authorities justified the strike as targeting Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, a negotiator in the Gaza hostage crisis, in response to the September 8 shooting near Jerusalem that killed both civilians and soldiers.
“While Hamas’ leadership largely survived, five lower-ranked members and a Qatari Internal Security Force officer were killed,” the analyst noted.
Krustev said the attack had bigger consequences because it targeted a U.S. ally involved in sensitive talks:
“However, the strike on Doha, which is a host to ongoing truce negotiations and a US ally, represents a clear breach of Qatari sovereignty and has provoked strong condemnation from Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.”
He added that Jordan has gone further to stand firmly with Qatar in resisting destabilisation.
“Jordan, through Crown Prince Hussein, expressed full solidarity with Qatar, emphasising the need to protect its security and stability,” Krustev concluded.
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Fatal gunmen attack in Israel
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that two gunmen opened fire at a bus stop at a busy intersection in north Jerusalem, Israel.
The attack claimed the lives of at least five people and injuring another 12.
Police said the attackers shot people waiting at a bus stop, while Israeli media reported the attackers also boarded a bus and opened fire inside.
Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from an international security analyst for this report.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
