1h agoTue 9 Sep 2025 at 2:39pmLet’s bring you up to date
For those of you just joining, here’s what we know so far:
Israel says it has targeted Hamas “senior leadership” in a strike on a base in Qatar.Explosions were heard in Doha while smoke could later be seen rising around the Qatari capital.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and intelligence agency Shin Bet said those targeted “were directly responsible for the brutal October 7th massacre”.Hamas has negotiators in Qatar, which has acted as a mediator alongside Egypt in talks on a ceasefire in the almost two-year-old war in Gaza.Qatar has condemned the action as “cowardly” and called it a flagrant violation of international law.Other countries in the region, including the United Arab Emirates, have also condemned the attacks.United Nations chief Antonio Guterres says the attacks are a “flagrant violation of sovereignty”.
We’ll have more as it comes to hand.
10m agoTue 9 Sep 2025 at 3:50pmWhere was the Israeli strike exactly?
25m agoTue 9 Sep 2025 at 3:35pm
Attack ‘completely justified’: Israel PM and defence minister
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz have released a short statement saying the attack was completely justified in the context of the Gaza war and the attack in Jerusalem.
It said following yesterday’s shooting in Jerusalem which killed six Israelis at a bus stop, Mr Netanyahu with the support of Mr Katz “instructed all security agencies to prepare for the possibility of thwarting the leaders of Hamas.”
It said the timing was due to “an operational opportunity” it carried out “the instruction given last night to the IDF and the Shin Bet, and they did so in a precise and optimal manner.”
“The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister believed that the action was completely justified in light of the fact that this Hamas leadership was the one who initiated and organized the October 7 massacre, and has not stopped launching murderous actions against the State of Israel and its citizens since then, including taking responsibility for the murder of our citizens in yesterday’s attack in Jerusalem.”
40m agoTue 9 Sep 2025 at 3:20pm
In pictures: Smoke and damage spotted in Doha
These pictures are from Reuters photographer Ibraheem Abu Mustafa:
He has also filed this photo of building, which the Reuters news agency, citing an Israeli source, says was one of the targets hit by the IDF.
50m agoTue 9 Sep 2025 at 3:10pm
‘Israel takes full responsibility’: Netanyahu
Israel’s Prime Minster, Benjamin Netanyahu, says his country “takes full responsibility” for the attack in Doha on Tuesday.
A post on the enrypted messaging service, Telegram, from his account read:
“Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation.
Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
1h agoTue 9 Sep 2025 at 3:00pmQatar Airways says operations unaffected
Frequent travellers out of Australia will know Doha’s airport is a major connecting hub.
In the last hour, Qatar Airways has issued a statement confirming there have been “no disruptions” after “recent unfortunate events in Doha”.
1h agoTue 9 Sep 2025 at 2:46pmHamas says targets of Israel’s attack survived
The news wire agency, Reuters, says two Hamas officials have told it the people targeted in Israel’s attack on Tuesday survived.
A bit of context: that doesn’t necessarily mean they are still alive.
When Israel bombed a Hezbollah meeting in Beirut last year with the goal of assassinating the group’s leader, Hassan Hasrallah, officials initially claimed he had survived.
In reality, he had been killed.
It’s important to wait for independent verification in these situations.
1h agoTue 9 Sep 2025 at 2:18pm
Good morning
I’m Thomas Morgan in London, here with my colleagues Riley Stuart, Patrick Martin and Basel Hindeleh. We’re coming online to cover the latest developments in the Middle East, together with our correspondents in the region.
In the last hour, Israel says it has carried out targeted attacks on Hamas’s leadership and negotiating team in Qatar.
Blasts have been heard in Doha and pictures show smoke rising across the city’s skyline.
We’ll have the latest developments and global reaction.