Israel says it struck Qatar to target senior Hamas leaders...

The Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike in the capital of Qatar targeting senior leaders of Hamas Tuesday. Television footage from Doha showed a cloud of smoke rising over the area where the bombing took place. There was no immediate confirmation of casualties. This is the first time Israel has carried out a strike in Doha. It marks an escalation in Israel's war against Hamas, in a location that has played host to mediation efforts to end the conflict. Israel's military said in a statement the Hamas leaders targeted were directly responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and have since been "orchestrating and managing" the war. Qatar's government denounced the strike. "The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha," the Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar." The Qatari statement added that the country "will not tolerate this reckless and irresponsible Israeli behavior, which continuously undermines the region's security." United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he condemns "this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar." He noted Qatar "has been playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and the release of all hostages," and said "all parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it." Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also condemned the attack. A statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said, "Today's action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility." This is a developing story, which is being updated.