Senior Hamas political leaders were wounded, one critically, in an Israeli air strike on a Hamas compound in the Qatari capital, Doha, according to sources within the group.
The sources told Asharq al-Awsat that the officials are being treated under heavy security at a private hospital, but declined to identify them.
The strike late Tuesday on the Hamas leadership complex killed five Palestinians, including Hammam al-Hayya, the son of senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, his chief of staff Jihad Lubad, three bodyguards and a Qatari security officer.
The compound housed offices and residences of Hamas leaders and their guards. The heaviest bombardment hit Khalil al-Hayya’s villa, which contained his private office, the sources said.
They added that the meeting of Hamas’s political bureau had been underway inside the adjacent office of former political chief Ismail Haniyeh, assassinated in Tehran last year, when a bomb struck a corner of the building.
Several bureau members were wounded but survived because they had been seated at the far side of the room.
The sources suggested Israel may have tracked the officials’ mobile phones to locate the meeting, but noted that Hamas leaders usually leave their devices outside during closed-door sessions. That could explain why most of the fatalities were among aides and guards.
Hamas maintains several compounds and residences across Doha and routinely shifts its meetings, the sources said. The targeted session was to be followed by a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss a US-brokered ceasefire proposal from President Donald Trump, according to the sources.
Hamas accused the United States of complicity in the strike, saying Washington provided cover for Israel’s operation. One source described it as a “US-Israeli ploy” to lure the group’s leadership into one location.
Some Hamas officials had flown in from Türkiye, Egypt and other countries to attend the expanded meeting, the sources added.
Despite the attack, the sources said Hamas leaders had agreed to continue negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza. “There is consensus on pursuing talks to achieve Palestinian demands, ensure a complete halt to the war and guarantee Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip,” one source said.
Contacts with mediators are expected to resume once security conditions stabilize, with Hamas set to hold internal consultations on how to conduct the next phase of negotiations, the sources said.
