Was the Silver Sparrow missile used for the first time in Israel’s attack on Qatar?

Intelligence Online said preliminary analyses of the Israeli strikes on Doha on Sept. 9 indicate that Israeli aircraft flew over Syria without provoking any response from the US air‑defense systems stationed in the country.

The site said preliminary analyses carried out by a European intelligence service indicate that Israel used Silver Sparrow ballistic air‑to‑surface missiles in strikes that targeted representatives of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha.

It said “the use of this missile, which was designed by Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the US company Raytheon (now RTX), requires US approval during wartime, suggesting Washington must have given Israel the green light.”
It added that “the Israeli Air Force uses F‑15 and F‑16 fighters produced by Lockheed Martin to carry Silver Sparrow missiles. For these missiles to operate without detection by radar, they had to fly over Syria, which has no air‑defense systems except those located at a US special forces base.”

It added that “the missile’s range, at 2,000 kilometres, enabled the Israeli Air Force to reach Doha easily from Syrian airspace, and by choosing Syria, the Israeli forces avoided flying over other countries, such as Jordan and Iraq, where foreign military bases could have detected them.”

It said the strike is believed to be the first recorded use of the missile, which is 8.39 metres long and capable of carrying a 150 kg warhead. The missile belongs to the Sparrow family, originally designed to mimic Iran’s Shahab‑3 missile, which was in turn developed to test Israel’s Arrow missile‑defense system.

On Tuesday, Qatar said Israel carried out a “cowardly attack” targeting residential premises of several members of Hamas’s political bureau in Doha, saying it has opened an investigation and “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour.”

The statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry, whose country is leading mediation with Cairo under US oversight to halt the war Israel has waged on the Gaza Strip and, it says, the genocide against Palestinians for nearly two years, said: “The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential premises housing several members of the political bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha.”
The foreign ministry said: “This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar.”

The ministry added: “Security agencies, civil defence and the competent authorities immediately began dealing with the incident and taking the necessary measures to contain its repercussions and ensure the safety of residents and surrounding areas.”