Hamas warns Israel could target its members in Türkiye

A senior Hamas official has warned that members of the organisation could be at risk of attacks by Israel outside the Gaza Strip, including in Türkiye.

Mohammed Nazzal, a member of Hamas’s Political Bureau, told Alghad TV that the group cannot rule out the possibility of targeted operations abroad.

“We do not dismiss such a possibility — Israel may not repeat the Qatar scenario with missile strikes on Turkish territory, but it could use other methods,” Nazzal said.

“Hamas understands that leaving Gaza does not guarantee the safety of our leadership, and those currently in the enclave do not intend to leave.”

Israel launched an unprecedented airstrike on the Qatari capital of Doha on September 9, targeting senior leaders of Hamas’s political bureau based in the Gulf state. 

The operation, carried out by the Israeli military and claimed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office as an attempt to eliminate Hamas leadership, marked a major escalation in the Israel–Hamas conflict and shocked regional diplomacy.

Doha, which has long hosted Hamas’s political office and mediated ceasefire talks involving the United States and Egypt, condemned the strike as a “criminal attack” and a blatant violation of its sovereignty. Qatar’s foreign ministry said it would pursue “all necessary legal and effective measures” in response, including exploring action at the International Criminal Court.

The strike killed several lower‑ranking Hamas members and a Qatari security officer, but key leaders reportedly survived. Netanyahu took responsibility for the strike.

By Aghakazim Guliyev