Shafaq News – Middle East

The airstrike that targeted Hamas’s political leadership in Qatar has failed, even as officials in Tel Aviv vowed to continue their pursuit, Israeli Channel 12 reported on Wednesday.

The channel pointed out that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unlikely to publicly acknowledge the operation’s shortcomings.

The strike, carried out yesterday in Doha, killed five people, including the son of senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, his chief of staff, and three aides. Hamas confirmed the deaths but said the attempt to assassinate its top leaders did not succeed.

Israel’s Maariv newspaper said the operation had been planned for weeks. Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir promised to track Hamas leaders “everywhere” and declared that “nothing will stop us from bringing down Hamas’s rule.”

Qatar condemned the raid as a “blatant violation of all international laws and norms and a grave threat to the security of its residents.” Several Arab governments also denounced the attack, while Washington called it a unilateral move that does not serve US or Israeli interests.

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday in an emergency session, requested by Algeria and other member states, to discuss the strike. The session comes as Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators continue efforts to revive Gaza ceasefire talks, stalled for months despite repeated appeals.