Qatar digs through the rubble of Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Doha

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DOHA Qatar AP Qatari safety forces and exigency fire personnel deployed Wednesday around the site of an Israeli attack the previous day on Hamas political leaders who had gathered in the capital of the energy-rich Middle East country to consider a U S proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip Tuesday s strike on a building in Doha killed at least six people in a neighborhood that is home to foreign embassies and schools The strike on the territory of a U S ally drew widespread condemnation from countries in the Mideast and beyond It also marked a dramatic escalation in the region and risked upending talks aimed at ending the war and freeing hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza At least bombs used An Israeli official mentioned at least bombs were used in the raid Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the attack the official revealed about planes participated in the mission and dropped about missiles Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed Tuesday he had made the decision on Monday to carry out the strike The official did not know how long the mission had been planned but disclosed the timing was connected to operational opportunity with Israel knowing that multiple Hamas bureaucrats would be gathered in an area relatively easy to hit without threatening Qatari civilians Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani Qatar s prime minister and foreign minister called out Netanyahu over the attack Such hostile behavior reflects only the barbarism of Netanyahu the minister disclosed while consoling the family of a Qatari guard official killed in Israel s strike according to the Foreign Ministry He added that Netanyahu was pushing the region toward irreparable instability undermining international laws and frameworks Sheikh Mohammed also criticized Netanyahu for previously declaring intentions to reshape the Middle East questioning whether this was also meant as a threat to reshape the Arabian Gulf the announcement declared At the scene of the attack From a distance beyond the measure cordon the buildings that had housed the Hamas leadership in Doha could be seen still standing But one room in particular appeared to have been the target of the strike its walls had collapsed and gray rubble could be seen inside Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC revealed damage to structures to the south of the Hamas compound as well though the buildings were still standing Measure forces and crisis personnel surrounded the site and blocked traffic A gas station to one side did not appear to have suffered any fire damage The windows of the building next to the one targeted remained intact Israel hasn t specified what it used to carry out the strike beyond saying it employed precision-guided weapons meant to minimize collateral damage Hamas disclosed in a message Tuesday that its top leaders survived the strike but that five lower-level members were killed including the son of Khalil al-Hayya Hamas leader for Gaza and its top negotiator as well as three bodyguards and the head of al-Hayya s office Hamas which has sometimes only certified the assassination of its leaders months later offered no immediate proof that al-Hayya and other senior figures had survived Hitting an American ally Qatar maintains a major arsenal of air defense systems including both American-made Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense or THAAD batteries However it didn t without delay appear that Qatari air defenses engaged during the attack which occurred just before p m Tuesday Sheikh Mohammed stated Tuesday that the Israeli enemy used weapons that were not detected by radar He did not elaborate but the comment suggests Israeli fighter jets could have launched so-called standoff missiles at a distance to strike the site without literally entering Qatari airspace The United States has reported it warned Qatar before the strike Qatar disputes that with Sheikh Mohammed saying that the Americans sent a message minutes after the attacks took place saying they were informed that there was going to be a missile attack on the state of Qatar Qatar is also home to the U S military s forward headquarters for its Mideast-based Central Command The headquarters located at the sprawling Al-Udeid Air Base also has American-run radars and defense systems and in the last few days hosted U S President Donald Trump on his tour of the region in May Qatar s advisory Shura Council condemned what it described as a criminal treacherous and cowardly attack which it reported represents a flagrant and ongoing breach of all international laws and norms Stalled Gaza talks Israel s attack in Qatar threatens to upend both negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel s efforts to reach out to Gulf Arab states New York-based think tank The Soufan Center declared in an analysis Wednesday The attack has profound strategic implications because by striking a Gulf Cooperation Council state Israel risks undermining the Abraham Accords and unraveling the fragile normalization framework with Arab partners the center declared referring to the diplomatic recognition deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates Israel s strike on Qatar raises the uncomfortable question if a state like Qatar with its thoroughly cultivated neutrality and commitment to peacemaking is punished for its role who will dare step into the vacuum of mediation in the future the center solicited The leader of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi traveled Wednesday to Qatar in a visit that likely underscores the growing unease the Emirates feels with Israel In newest days the UAE warned Israel that any effort to annex the West Bank part of land the Palestinians want for their future state would be a red line that would threaten the Abraham Accords Qatar s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed Sheikh Mohammed The two leaders had been on opposite sides of a political dispute for years during the first Trump administration that saw the UAE and three other nations boycott Doha The crown princes of Kuwait and Jordan also traveled to Qatar on Wednesday The state-run Qatar News Agency reported Sheikh Tamim held a series of calls with world leaders including Trump Sheikh Tamim condemned the attack and according to a readout of the call noted that Qatar holds Israel responsible for its repercussions in light of the strategy of aggression they adopt that threatens the region s stability and obstructs efforts to de-escalate and reach sustainable diplomatic solutions Associated Press writers Josef Federman and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem and Elena Becatoros in Athens contributed to this account