Hamas official slams Israel in first public appearance since Qatar attack

A senior Hamas official has made the group’s first public appearance since last week’s Israeli strike on its leadership in Qatar, using a televised interview on Wednesday to fiercely condemn the attack on Doha.

Ghazi Hamad appeared on the Doha-based network Al Jazeera, where he described the moments leading up to the incident, which killed at least six people, including five low-level Hamas members and one Qatari security official.

Hamad confirmed that he was present at the site targeted by Israel, where senior members of the Palestinian group were discussing the US's latest ceasefire proposal for Gaza, put forward by Qatari mediators. Loud explosions were heard less than half an hour after the meeting had started, he told Al Jazeera Arabic.

The senior leader said the group "immediately knew" that the explosions were the result of an Israeli attack, as they had "lived in Gaza and experienced Israeli shelling before".

"The shelling was so intense, the situation was terrifying, and the rockets continued unabated. There were about 12 rockets in less than a minute, but by God’s decree, we survived this aggression," he said.

The attack initially targeted prominent Hamas figures Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, Muhammad Ismail Darwish and Khaled Mashal – all of whom have been involved in ceasefire and captive deal negotiations with Israel over the months.

Confirmed killed were al-Hayya's office director, Jihad Labad, as well as his son Humam. Three aides - Abdullah Abdul Wahid, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmed Abdul Malik - were also killed.

The killed Qatari security official was confirmed as Lance Corporal Badr Saad Al-Humaidi Al-Dosari.

In the interview, Hamad slammed Israel’s attack on the Qatari capital. He said the bombing "carried clear and blatant messages to all free people in the world: that the occupying state does not want peace, does not want negotiations, does not want co-existence, and does not want anything other than imposing the rule stated by the US Secretary of Defence and adopted by the occupying state".

He added that Israel only seeks "peace and security through force - that is, through bullying, massacres, and imposing a fait accompli".

He also warned that the attack on Doha was "a clear message to everyone" that other Arab capitals can also be targeted.

"The ongoing barbarism and American complicity with [Israel] in committing massacres requires an Arab position that bears responsibility, not merely condemnation and denunciation," he added.

The attack provoked strong condemnations globally, particularly from Arab leaders. Qatar slammed the attack as "cowardly," while Hamas called it a "failed assassination attempt", which "confirmed beyond doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not want to reach any agreement for peace".

In response to the attack, Arab and Muslim leaders held an emergency summit in Doha, where they denounced Israel’s actions.

Hamad also described his experience with US negotiators as "bitter," accusing them of "lacking credibility" and adopting Israeli positions during ceasefire talks. He also accused Washington of "colluding" with Israel over the recent attack on Hamas.

US President Trump claimed he was "not informed" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in advance about the attack. US website Axios, however, said otherwise in a report earlier this week.

The 9 September attack was the latest carried out by Israel in parallel with its violent military campaign in Gaza, plunging the Middle East into a deepening crisis.

Since 7 October 2023, Israel has struck and killed thousands in Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Syria, and has intensified its raids in the occupied West Bank.

More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed alone in Gaza in the last 23 months, while at least 1,000 have been killed in the West Bank.