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rescuing Hamas leaders targeted by Israel in Qatar... Here’s who they are
Israeli Army Radio reported that Israel targeted Hamas officials in Qatar today, Tuesday. While media outlets named the targets—namely Khalil Haqqi, Zahir Jabarin, Khaled Mashal, and Nizar Awadallah—Hamas denied these reports, affirming that its leaders survived the attacks.
According to Israeli media, citing a senior Israeli official, the attack targeted senior Hamas leaders, including Khalil Haqqi, the head of the movement in Gaza.
Several leaders of the movement, including top officials, have been residing in Qatar's capital for years. Doha has previously hosted rounds of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement and releasing prisoners, as part of mediation efforts led by Egypt and the United States.
The Israeli army confirmed that it targeted the “Hamas leadership” in a “focused and precise” manner. Although the location of the attack was not initially specified, later confirmation indicated that the strikes took place in Doha.
In later statements, an military official said that the operation was named "Fire Summit" and that the airstrikes were carried out by combat aircraft.
Qatar clarified that the strikes targeted “residential buildings” belonging to members of the Palestinian movement’s political office.
A Reuters video in Doha capturing a column of smoke rising behind a building in the capital, while police intensified security measures and imposed a security cordon to prevent access.
Khalil Haqqi is considered one of the most prominent Hamas leaders, playing a key role in managing sensitive files, especially negotiations to cease fire and prisoner exchanges with Israel. He is also the political and media face of the movement during war and complex diplomatic moves.
His full name is Dr. Khalil Ismail Ibrahim Haqqi, nicknamed "Abu Osama." He was born in Gaza on November 5, 1960.
The second targeted leader is Zahir Jabarin, who is responsible for organizing the movement's financial operations and managing a financial network valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, according to The Wall Street Journal. He finances Hamas activities against Israel and maintains financial ties with Iran.
The third name circulating among Hamas leaders targeted by Israel in Qatar is Khaled Mashal, known for surviving an assassination attempt carried out by Mossad in 1997 in Amman. Mashal was famously targeted outside his office in Jordan, when Israeli agents attempted to poison him, but the attempt failed.
Finally, Nizar Awadallah is also among the prominent Hamas leaders targeted. Reports reveal that he has played a pivotal role in negotiations, carefully scrutinizing all textual details during talks with Israel, the United States, and mediators to ensure that their responses are clear and precise.
