US President Donald Trump has said he's "not thrilled" about Israeli air strike in Qatar, adding to the international pressure after the unpredecented expansion of Israel's war against Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike was "fully justified" because it targeted senior Hamas leaders who organised the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war. The Palestinian armed group has said five of its members were killed in an Israeli air strike in Qatar's capital, but claimed that an attempt to assassinate its negotiating team "failed". Qatar condemned the Israeli attack, calling it "cowardly" and a "flagrant violation of international law". Qatar is a key US ally in the region that is the location of a major American air base. Asked about Israel's strikes against Qatar, Trump said: "Well, I'm not thrilled... I'm just I'm not thrilled about the whole situation. It's not a good situation. "But I will say this, we want the hostages back, but we are not thrilled about the way that went down today," he told the media. Hamas said the negotiating team was meeting to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip at a residential compound in Doha when it was badly damaged by a series of explosions. The Gulf state's interior ministry said one member of its Internal Security Force was killed and others were injured, without mentioning any Hamas casualties. It has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012, and has served along with the US and Egypt as a mediator in indirect negotiations between the group and Israel. Witnesses in Doha said they heard as many as eight separate explosions on Tuesday afternoon, with plumes of smoke rising above the city's northern Katara district. The strike hit "residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas", according to Qatari authorities. Within minutes, Israel said it was behind the blasts. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet internal security service said in a statement that they conducted "a precise strike targeting the senior leadership" of Hamas. Israeli media reported that the operation involved 15 Israeli fighter jets, firing 10 munitions against a single target within a few seconds. An Israeli official was cited as saying the Hamas members targeted included Khalil al-Hayya, the chief negotiator and exiled Gaza leader, and Zaher Jabarin, the exiled West Bank leader. A Hamas statement denounced the Israeli strike as a "a heinous crime, a blatant aggression, and a flagrant violation of all international norms and laws". "We confirm the enemy's failure to assassinate our brothers in the negotiating delegation," it said, without providing any evidence. The group named five members who it said were killed, including Khalil al-Hayya's son, Humam, and Jihad Labad, the director of Hayya's office. "Targeting the negotiating delegation, as they discussed US President Donald Trump's latest proposal, confirms beyond doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not want to reach any agreement and are deliberately seeking to thwart all opportunities and thwart international efforts," it said. Hamas also said it held the US administration "jointly responsible" for the attack because of its support for the Israeli military. Qatar's government reacted with fury to Israel's actions, saying: "This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar." Similar statements of outrage came from across the Arab world, with Saudi Arabia denouncing what it described as the "brutal Israeli aggression". UN Secretary General António Guterres also condemned the strike, saying it was a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar". He said Qatar had been "playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and release of all hostages", adding: "All parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it." French President Emmanuel Macron said the strike was "unacceptable regardless of motive", while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned of the risk of "further escalation across the region" and called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. Pope Leo XIV told journalists that "the entire situation is very serious". — BBC
