Exposed: Hamas Received Advance Warnings Before Israel's Strike in Qatar
Growing assessments suggest the Israeli strike on Hamas leadership in Qatar failed to achieve its primary objective, with reports of prior warnings to the terror group and Israel's own limited operational scope potentially to blame.
Initial reports and new intelligence assessments suggest the Israeli strike aimed at decapitating the Hamas leadership in Doha may not have been a complete success. Two key factors are emerging as possible reasons for the limited outcome: prior warnings from regional powers and a deliberate decision by Israel to use a minimalist strike to avoid collateral damage.
In the weeks before the attack, Egyptian and Turkish officials reportedly conveyed “vague but serious” warnings to Hamas leaders in Qatar to increase security at their meetings. Despite this, Hamas officials continued to convene in the very same building where they had reportedly celebrated the October 7th massacre. This created an operational opportunity for the IDF, but the prior warnings may have made the Hamas leaders more cautious, leading them to take measures that ultimately saved them.
Another reason for the potential failure is Israel's own choice of tactics. The attack was carried out with precise, long-range missiles fired from 10 Israeli fighter jets operating outside Qatari airspace. Rather than destroying the entire building, the strike was pinpointed to a specific location to minimize harm to uninvolved Qatari citizens. According to a Saudi newspaper, two senior Hamas political leaders were only wounded, with one in serious condition. This is consistent with an Iranian report that the Hamas officials were in a different room praying at the time of the explosion, having left their phones behind. The deliberate decision to not level the entire structure may have inadvertently allowed the leaders to survive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a public statement, asserted that Israel acted by “going after the terror planners who carried out the October 7th massacre.” He compared Israel's actions to the U.S. pursuit of al-Qaeda after 9/11, delivering a message to Qatar and other countries that harbor terrorists: “Either you expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you do not, we will do so.” Netanyahu also criticized nations that condemned Israel's actions, stating they "should be ashamed of themselves" and that they should applaud Israel for upholding the same principles as the U.S. in hunting down terrorists.
While Hamas officially denies that its senior leadership was eliminated, it has not provided any evidence that key figures like Khalil al-Hayya or Zaher Jabarin are alive. However, senior official Hossam Badran issued a written statement after the attack, proving his own survival. In a gesture of solidarity with Qatar following the strike, the Emir of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed, arrived in Doha, with Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also scheduled to visit.