Explosion in Doha’s Katara district; Tel Aviv says it targeted Hamas leaders

Reuters reported on Tuesday that an explosion occurred in the Katara district of Qatar’s capital, Doha, followed by plumes of smoke rising from the site.

Hebrew media quoted a senior Israeli official saying the blast was an assassination operation targeting a senior Hamas commander, while the Axios network said the incident was an assassination attempt against Hamas officials.

In a related development, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said the army and the Shin Bet carried out a precise airstrike targeting Hamas leadership, stating that the targeted leaders bear direct responsibility for the October 7 attack and for directing the war against Israel. He said measures were taken to avoid civilian casualties, including the use of precision munitions and additional intelligence.

Qatari authorities have not issued any official comment on the incident so far.