London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the recent attack in Doha, Qatar, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Downing Street, according to a government readout.
Starmer emphasized the need to prevent further escalation in the region, Xinhua news agency reported. The readout also noted that Rutte updated Starmer on discussions held earlier at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli army and Shin Bet security agency issued a joint statement saying that the Israeli Air Force had conducted “a focused strike targeting the top leadership of Hamas in Qatar.”
Israel carried out an unprecedented airstrike in Doha, targeting a building used by senior Hamas officials, in what authorities described as an operation aimed at assassinating the group’s leaders.
Hamas stated that the attack occurred while its delegation was discussing a new ceasefire proposal presented by US President Donald Trump. The group reported that its negotiating team survived, but six others were killed.
The Palestinian victims were identified as Jihad Lubad, office director for Hamas political bureau member Khalil al-Hayya; Hammam al-Hayya, son of Khalil al-Hayya; and escorts Abdullah Abdulwahid, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmed al-Mamlouk. Additionally, Badr Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi, a member of Qatar’s Internal Security Force, was confirmed dead.
Israeli authorities did not immediately release casualty details. In their joint statement, the Israeli military and Shin Bet said the strike targeted Hamas leaders “directly responsible for the October 7 massacre” and employed “precise munitions and intelligence” to minimize civilian casualties.
