Hamas announces leadership survived Doha assassination attempt
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Hamas denounces the Israeli attempt to assassinate its Doha delegation, calling it a crime against Qatar’s sovereignty and proof that Netanyahu rejects any agreement.
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Israeli captive Omer Wenkert, centre, is escorted by Hamas fighters before being handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas strongly condemned what it described as a “treacherous assassination attempt” by the Israeli occupation targeting its negotiating delegation in the Qatari capital, Doha.
In an official statement, Hamas said: “The treacherous attempt by the Zionist occupation to assassinate the Hamas negotiating delegation in Doha today is a heinous crime, a blatant act of aggression, and a flagrant violation of all international norms and laws.”
Attack on Qatar’s sovereignty
Hamas stressed that the attack was not only aimed at its delegation but also constituted an assault on Qatar itself. “This crime represented an aggression against the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, which, alongside sisterly Egypt, has played an important and responsible role in sponsoring mediation efforts to halt the aggression, reach a ceasefire agreement, and secure a prisoner exchange,” the movement said.
Hamas confirmed that its leadership, who were the target of the strike, survived the attack, though several members of its team and security staff were martyred. The statement identified those martyred as: Jihad Lubad, office director for senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, and al-Hayya’s son, Hammam. Three others, including Abdullah Abdel Wahed, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmad al-Mamlouk, were also martyred, along with Qatari security officer Badr Saad al-Humaidi.
Israeli regime, US undermining negotiations
The movement tied the attack directly to ongoing negotiations: “Targeting the negotiating delegation, at the very moment it was discussing the latest proposal of US President Donald Trump, confirms beyond any doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not want to reach any agreement. They are deliberately working to sabotage every opportunity and derail international efforts, regardless of the fate of their prisoners, state sovereignty, or regional security.”
Hamas also accused Washington of complicity: “We hold the US administration jointly responsible with the occupation for this crime, given its constant support for aggression and the crimes of the occupation against our people.”
The statement further declared that the attack highlighted the broader danger of the Israeli occupation's policies: “This crime proves once again that the Zionist occupation is a grave threat to the region and the world. Netanyahu seeks to erase our national cause and the rights of our people, pushing them toward forced displacement, while continuing his criminal schemes of genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, and expulsion.”
Hamas demands accountability
Hamas called on the international community to act decisively: “We urge the world, the United Nations, and all living forces and free consciences to condemn this criminal aggression against Qatar, to take urgent action to pressure the occupation to stop its war of extermination and ethnic cleansing, and to uphold the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and self-determination.”
The group vowed that the attempted assassination would not alter its stance: “This cowardly attempt will not change our positions or demands, which are clear: an immediate halt to aggression against our people, the full withdrawal of the occupation army from Gaza, a genuine prisoner exchange, relief for our people, and reconstruction.”
Hamas concluded by reaffirming its commitment to resistance: “These terrorist crimes will not break our movement or leadership, nor divert us from clinging to our people’s national rights and continuing the path of resistance until the occupation is removed from our land and our independent Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital is established.”
US, 'Israel' coordinated attack
Israeli media revealed new details on the coordination between the Israeli occupation and the United States surrounding the recent strikes on the Qatari capital, Doha, which targeted Hamas leadership.
Channel 13 cited a senior Israeli official as saying that the attack was coordinated with Washington. The report highlights the extent of joint planning between the two allies in the lead-up to the operation.
According to Channel 14’s correspondent, coordination included at least two key meetings in recent days. The first involved US Central Command chief Gen. Brad Cooper, who recently arrived in the occupied Palestinian territories and held his first meeting with Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.
The two are said to maintain daily communications, sometimes more than once per day, focusing heavily on military coordination tied to the operation.
A second meeting reportedly took place within the last 24 hours between Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and US envoy Steve Witkoff, further underlining the high-level engagement between the two sides.
Hamas delegation survives Israeli attack
In a statement, the Israeli occupation military, in coordination with its internal security agency, Shin Bet, announced that it carried out an airstrike on the Qatari capital, Doha, claiming to target the senior leadership of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
Israeli Channel 12, citing military sources, reported that the strikes targeted members of the Hamas negotiating delegation while they were discussing the latest US-mediated proposal in Doha.
However, a senior Hamas source told Al Mayadeen that the movement’s negotiating delegation survived the Israeli assassination attempt in Doha.
Reuters correspondents confirmed hearing loud explosions in the Qatari capital, noting plumes of smoke rising over the Katara district.
This brazen Israeli strike on Hamas’ negotiating delegation in Doha exposes once again the pattern of aggression that has defined Israeli and American conduct, using violence at the very moment when talks for peace are on the table. Just as Washington and Tel Aviv undermined dialogue before they attacked Iran in June, they now repeat the same tactic against the Palestinian resistance, targeting representatives engaged in negotiations.
Far from seeking peace, such actions demonstrate a deliberate sabotage of negotiations and reveal that only Palestinians show a genuine commitment to ending the war, while the Israeli occupation regime and the US weaponize diplomacy as cover for escalation.
