British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly condemned Israel’s airstrike in Doha, Qatar, that targeted top Hamas officials. He raised this during a key meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Downing Street. A government readout highlighted Starmer’s call to stop any further escalation in the tense Middle East region, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Rutte also updated Starmer on talks from the Ukraine Defence Contact Group earlier that day, focusing on global security issues.
The dramatic strike happened on Tuesday when the Israeli Air Force hit a building in Qatar’s capital, Doha, used by senior Hamas leaders. Israel described it as a “focused strike” to take out key figures behind the October 7 attacks. The Israeli army and Shin Bet security agency said in a joint statement that they used precise munitions and solid intelligence to minimize harm to civilians.
Hamas hit back, saying the attack came right in the middle of ceasefire talks. Their delegation was reviewing a new proposal from US President Donald Trump when the strike occurred. Luckily, the negotiating team survived unharmed, but the group confirmed six people died in the blast.
Among the victims were Jihad Lubad, who worked as office director for Hamas political bureau member Khalil al-Hayya; Hammam al-Hayya, son of Khalil al-Hayya; and three escorts—Abdullah Abdulwahid, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmed al-Mamlouk. Qatar also lost one of its own: Badr Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi, a member of the country’s Internal Security Force.
Israeli officials haven’t confirmed the identities of those killed yet, but they stressed the targets were directly linked to the deadly October 7 massacre. This bold move in Qatar has sparked worries about rising tensions in the Israel-Hamas conflict and potential impacts on ongoing ceasefire efforts. World leaders like Starmer are urging calm to avoid a bigger crisis in the region.
