Macron denounces Israeli strike

Paris (dpa) — French President Emmanuel Macron has denounced Israel’s attack against the Hamas leadership in Doha on Tuesday, saying there could be no justification for such an act.

“Today’s Israeli strikes on Qatar are unacceptable, whatever the reason,” he wrote on social media in multiple languages, including Arabic and Hebrew.

“I express my solidarity with Qatar and its Emir, Sheikh Tamim Al Thani. Under no circumstances should the war spread throughout the region.”

According to a Hamas statement, no members of its negotiating team in Doha were killed, though six people died in the attack, including the son of Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s highest-ranking leader abroad, and his chief of staff.

Hamas: Israeli Strike on Group’s Leadership in Doha Failed

Tel Aviv (dpa) — The Islamist militant group Hamas has described Israel’s strike on its leadership in Qatar as “a failure.”

According to a Hamas statement, no members of its negotiating team were killed, though six people died in the attack, including the son of Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s highest-ranking leader abroad, and his chief of staff.

Hamas called the strike in Doha a “heinous crime” and said it targeted the delegation while it was considering a mediation proposal from US President Donald Trump.

The group accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government of having no intention of reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, asserting that Israel is attempting to thwart any efforts to end the war and has regard for the lives of hostages.

Hamas also criticized the United States for being complicit through its continued support for Israel.

The group reiterated its conditions for ending the conflict: an immediate halt to Israeli attacks, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, an exchange of hostages held by militants for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, delivery of humanitarian aid, and the reconstruction of the largely destroyed coastal territory.