The leadership of Hamas on Tuesday denied the elimination of its senior officials after Israel’s strike on Doha, the Qatari capital city.
The organization, in a statement, claimed that the “enemy attempt” to take out the members of a delegation for scheduled talks “failed.”
Hamas, however, validated the demise of six people, including Humam al-Hayya, son of its leader in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya.
Al-Hayya, head of Hamas’s side in the negotiations with Israel, survived the strike, which killed other members and a Qatar’s Internal Security member.
Hamas said that Tuesday’s hit represents an attack on the sovereignty of Qatar, which, together with Egypt, plays an important role in the peace efforts.
The movement criticized the targeting of a country involved in the mediation to halt “the aggression” to reach a ceasefire and prisoner-exchange agreement.
Qatar’s Interior Ministry confirmed “a number of injuries” and announced an operation to secure and survey the targeted area using the explosives unit of the Internal Security Force.
Before the attack, measures were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including “precise munitions and additional intelligence,” according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA).
