Israel conducted an unprecedented strike against senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital of Doha, escalating an already tense standoff between the country and Arab nations over the war in Gaza.

The move against the Iran-backed group was “a wholly independent Israeli operation,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Tuesday, suggesting that chief ally the U.S. had no direct involvement. “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”

A White House official said Israel notified the U.S. immediately before the attack took place.

Qatar condemned the strike on the nation’s capital, calling it a “flagrant violation” of international law, after several blasts were heard earlier in the city. Qatar “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and its continued tampering with regional security,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed Al Ansari said in a post on X.

Hamas leaders, headed by Khalil Al-Hayya, survived the Israeli attack, Doha-based Al Jazeera reported, citing a senior Hamas source.

Israel has been fighting Hamas in Gaza since the militant group’s deadly attack on the country in October 2023. Qatar is one of the key mediators between Israel and the Palestinian group, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union, and has been central to on-off ceasefire talks between the two sides.

Stoking tension

Israel has never previously attacked Qatar, and the strike is likely to further anger Arab nations already on edge about the Palestinian deathtoll in Gaza and the humanitarian impact of the war. Qatar is also an ally of the U.S., which has so far supported Israel’s military actions against Hamas and other Tehran-backed militant groups, as well as the airstrikes on Iran itself three months ago.

Qatar is home to Al-Udeid Air Base, the biggest U.S. military installation in the Middle East.

Oil jumped after reports of the Israeli attack, which revived fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East. West Texas Intermediate climbed 1.8% to top $63 a barrel.

United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan warned that such “reckless attacks” will have “extremely dangerous repercussions” for regional and international security. The UAE was one of the countries that established diplomatic ties with Israel as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.

Israel’s strikes were also criticized by Iran and Kuwait, which called it a “serious threat” to regional security.

Israel was believed to be behind the assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July 2024. Other attacks on different countries include last year’s offensive against Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group, in Lebanon.

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