Hamas Official Breaks Silence After IDF Strike in Doha

Hamas Official Breaks Silence After IDF Strike in Doha

Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad has spoken publicly for the first time since surviving Israel’s attempted assassination of senior Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, on September 9.

In an Al Jazeera interview, Hamad described how explosions struck shortly after a meeting to discuss a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the war. “We immediately understood it was an assassination attempt,” he said, adding that he and others narrowly escaped.

Hamad accused Israel of “having no red lines” and called for an Arab response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stated ambition of reshaping the Middle East. He also denounced U.S. mediators as “not credible,” claiming Washington withdrew from its own peace proposals.

On Israeli hostages held in Gaza, Hamad insisted Hamas treats prisoners according to its “values” but blamed Israel for endangering them. He further defended Hamas’s October 7 attacks, arguing they forced Palestinian statehood back onto the global agenda. “Without our weapons, no one would be looking in our direction,” he said, while criticizing the Palestinian Authority and international community for neglecting the issue.

The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed targeting top Hamas figures in Doha, including Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled Mashaal, and Zaher Jabarin.

Key Takeaways

• First interview since attack: Ghazi Hamad described surviving Israel’s assassination attempt in Doha.

• Criticism of U.S. mediation: He accused Washington of lacking credibility in ceasefire talks.

• October 7 justification: Hamad claimed Hamas’s attacks revived global attention on Palestinian statehood.

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