Qatar says Israeli strike on Hamas delegation accelerated defence talks with US

The Israeli airstrike on a Hamas negotiating delegation in Doha on September 9 has accelerated the need for an updated strategic defence agreement with the United States, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said at a briefing in Doha, according to Anadolu.

Responding to a question on whether the strike had sped up discussions with Washington, al-Ansari stated:

"Yes, this strike underscored the necessity of an updated strategic defence agreement between Qatar and the U.S. This is not an entirely new issue, but it has accelerated the process."

On September 9, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted an unprecedented airstrike in Doha's Leqtaifiya district, targeting a residential compound housing senior Hamas political leaders. The attack, which involved ten missiles launched from Israeli fighter jets, aimed at key figures including Khalil al-Hayya (Hamas's chief negotiator and Gaza leader), Khaled Mashal (former head of the political bureau), and other members of Hamas's provisional "temporary committee."

The strike killed six people: five Hamas affiliates (including al-Hayya's son and his office manager) and one Qatari security guard. Hamas claimed the assassination attempt on its negotiating delegation "failed," asserting that senior leaders survived unharmed, though the compound sustained significant damage. Qatar's government condemned the attack as a "flagrant violation of international law and Qatar's sovereignty," with Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani labelling it "state terrorism."

By Khagan Isayev