Media: Hamas leadership delegation survives Israeli assassination attempt in Doha VIDEO / UPDATED

A senior Hamas leadership delegation, headed by Khalil al-Hayya, reportedly survived an Israeli strike in Doha, according to a source within the group.

Al Jazeera cited a senior Hamas official who confirmed that the delegation, including Hayya, emerged unharmed from the assassination attempt.

Reports indicate that US and UK reconnaissance aircraft were operating over the area prior to the strike, underscoring the heightened international surveillance surrounding the incident.

17:56

A powerful explosion shook Doha, the capital of Qatar, on September 9, in what appears to be an unprecedented Israeli airstrike targeting Hamas leadership far beyond Gaza. The blast, the cause of which was not immediately confirmed, sent plumes of smoke into the sky, as seen in videos circulating widely on social media.

Preliminary reports indicate that Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’ Chief Negotiator, was killed in the explosion, allegedly the result of an Israeli military operation, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

If confirmed, the strike would mark a dramatic escalation in Israel’s campaign against Hamas, targeting one of the group's senior figures in a foreign capital.

The Israeli military, in a statement, said its air force had conducted a “targeted strike on Hamas leaders,” but stopped short of revealing the location.

“The IDF (Israeli military) and ISA (security agency) conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation,” the military stated, without specifying where the strike took place.

Qatar, an energy-rich Gulf state and a key mediator in past Israel-Hamas negotiations, was the scene of the explosion, though Qatari officials have yet to comment formally on the incident.

By Vafa Guliyeva