Qatar Vows to Retaliate after Israel’s Unsuccessful ‘Summit of Fire’ in Doha

Qatar Vows to Retaliate after Israel’s Unsuccessful ‘Summit of Fire’ in Doha

After nearly two years of balancing diplomatic efforts, Qatar found itself at the centre of the very conflict it had sought to mediate. An Israeli airstrike on Doha on Tuesday, aimed at members of Hamas’s political bureau, disrupted months of negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Gaza and may hinder Qatar’s ability to facilitate a ceasefire between the opposing parties. Hamas stated that the strike conducted by Israel under the name “Operation Summit of Fire“, which took months of preparation according to Israeli media, did not take the lives of Khalil al-Hayya or other high-ranking officials; however, it did result in the deaths of his son, three bodyguards, and a Qatari security officer.

VIDEO: Israel’s airstrike on Doha, Qatar / FRANCE 24

Earlier this week, Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, had met with Hamas representatives to discuss a proposal that Trump envoy Steve Witkoff had presented the week before in Paris. The Hamas representatives, possibly including some who had just flown in from Turkey, opted to reconvene on Tuesday to discuss the proposal further. Israel, aware of the group’s assembly in Doha, seized this opportunity to launch its attack.

On Tuesday, Israel targeted Hamas leadership in the West Bay Lagoon area, close to the Qatari Defence Minister’s HQ, and in the vicinity of the central business district, home to many foreign embassies, wealthy residences, schools and supermarkets. The strike targeted high-ranking Hamas officials as part of the Hebrew State’s ongoing campaign against the resistance group. This strike — which Israel claimed was executed following an attack that left six dead at a bus stop in Jerusalem on Monday — struck residential buildings that housed several members of the Hamas Political Bureau, as the group’s key figures convened to deliberate on a US ceasefire proposal concerning the Gaza Strip.

VIDEO: The moment Israeli missiles/bombs (at least two) hit the building housing Hamas officials in Doha, Qatar (Source: MenchOsint / on X)

The moment the Israeli missile/bombs (at least two) hit building housing Hamas officials in Doha, Qatar.

Will Qatar retaliate ? https://t.co/tZEOHPJhD6 pic.twitter.com/wcRbZm43Wz

— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) September 9, 2025

Many believe that Israel, in partnership with the United States, might have lured Hamas into a trap, using a 100-word proposal, which is believed to have been crafted by Israel, aiming to bring Hamas’s leading political figures under one roof in Doha under the guise of negotiations, only to eliminate them. Hamas was expected to provide an answer on Tuesday evening to a US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. This clearly mirrors the approach taken by Trump earlier this year to soothe the Iranians through continuous nuclear talks while secretly planning the assassination of senior officials in Tehran.

Qatar had been apprehensive about a potential attack ever since Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, cautioned on August 31 that “most of the remaining Hamas leadership is abroad, and we will reach them as well.” In response, Qatar sought guarantees from the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, and the White House that such an assault would not take place on Qatari territory. Although these assurances were provided, Israel once again violated its commitment and went ahead with the air strike, breaking all sorts of international laws while directly challenging Qatar’s sovereignty.

Ahmed Hashim, professor of war studies at Deakin University, believes that  “Israel used its modified Adir version of the US F-35 fighter jets, accompanied by its customised F-15I Ra’ams for ‘air cover’, to carry out this illegal operation. Professor Hashim explained that Israel usually keeps about 46 Adir F-35 jets at its Nevatim air base, which is 2,250 kilometres from Doha. Professor Hashim added that “The Adirs can be fitted with fuel tanks that allow them to fly about 2,200km, but they do not need to be flown all the way to a target.”

“I don’t think the planes were over the Doha district. They struck from a distance with precision. And I think they were guided there by intelligence provided by ground.”

Many questions have remained unanswered. For instance, how the Israeli jets could have flown undetected over Saudi Arabia, and most likely Jordan, to reach Qatar, or what projectile Israel used, and why Qatari Air Defenses were not activated? Israeli media are reporting that the strikes involved 15 Israeli fighter jets, firing 10 munitions against a single target, which implies the Israelis knew exactly where the Hamas officials were located. According to an ABC report, retired Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz, who served as US security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, said the comments made by the White House indicated that the US leadership was notified of the attack as it was unfolding, “unfortunately, too late” to stop it.

Netanyahu, who has labelled the assault as “justified”, continues to pursue his vision of a Greater Israel along with his ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has openly condemned the Israeli actions and has cowardly distanced himself from the Hebrew state, which has taken full responsibility for the operation. Furthermore, flight trackers’ data suggest that the UK may have provided support for the operation.

UK fuel tanker took off from Qatar, refueled Israeli fighter jets that were attacking Qatar then landed in Qatar. pic.twitter.com/xZYzu7jlQ6

— Saeed (@Haman_Ten) September 9, 2025

The United States claimed it had issued a warning to Qatar prior to the strike.; however, Qatar contests this claim, stating that the Americans communicated with Doha only 10 minutes after the attacks, notifying them that Israel had carried out an airstrike against Hamas in Doha.

VIDEO: President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is “very unhappy” about the Israeli military strike on Doha, Qatar. (Source: AP) 

Nevertheless, Qatar has clearly affirmed its commitment to continue mediating in the Gaza conflict, even in light of Israel’s unprecedented assault on its territory. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani vowed on Tuesday to retaliate against Israel for its strike against Hamas’s political leadership in Doha. At a press conference, the Qatari  prime minister stated:

“The State of Qatar is committed to acting in a decisive way against anything that would target its territories and will reserve the right to retaliate and will take all the needed measures to retaliate.”

VIDEO: Qatari PM calls the Israeli attack ‘state terrorism’ (Source: Al Jazeera English)

The Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar has unsettled Gulf allies and strained US relations, prompting concerns about sovereignty and the latitude afforded to Israel. While numerous Gulf nations have succumbed to the US security extortion model to safeguard their oil and gas assets, the dependability of the United States in the Middle East is expected to come under serious scrutiny.

Israel’s “Abraham Accords” now face uncertainty, as experts indicate that the topic of normalisation is currently at a halt in the Gulf Arab nations, at least for the time being…

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