The Hamas Movement has condemned the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for deliberately undermining ceasefire and prisoner exchange efforts, holding it responsible for a targeted assassination attempt against its negotiating delegation in Qatar’s capital.

In an urgent memorandum sent to Arab and Islamic foreign ministers, the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hamas described the strike as a “treacherous” act aimed at derailing diplomatic efforts. The memorandum, delivered by senior Hamas official Mohammed Darwish, detailed the attack, which occurred on September 9, 2025, just one day after the Hamas delegation met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who presented a new ceasefire proposal.

Israeli warplanes struck the home of Dr. Khalil al-Hayya, head of the negotiating team, killing his son Hammam, his office director Jihad Lubad, three aides, and a member of the Qatari protective detail. Several family members were wounded, though the Hamas delegation itself survived.

Hamas condemned the strike as a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and as evidence of Israel’s reliance on assassination and massacres to obstruct diplomacy. The Movement emphasized that it had demonstrated “maximum flexibility” to halt what it calls the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, only for the Netanyahu government to repeatedly sabotage agreements through new conditions and targeted killings.

The memorandum highlighted Israel’s abandonment of the January 17, 2025, ceasefire agreement, noting a resumption of attacks characterized by mass killings, forced displacement, and starvation, despite Hamas’s compliance. It also referenced the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haneyya in Tehran earlier this year, despite mediation efforts at the time.

Hamas underscored that it is a democratically elected national liberation movement seeking freedom and independence for Palestinians. Attempts to label its leaders as “military targets” were denounced as a pretext for war crimes. The movement accused the far-right Israeli government of pursuing an apocalyptic agenda, stoking extremism and terrorism across the region and beyond.

Hamas called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its ongoing attacks in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, and to hold its leaders accountable for violations of sovereignty and international law. The movement urged Arab and Islamic states to politically and economically isolate Israel, pursue its leaders in international courts, and ensure accountability. Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to liberating occupied lands, establishing an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, and securing the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

Meanwhile, Arab and Islamic foreign ministers convened a closed-door session in Doha on Sunday evening to prepare for an emergency summit on Monday, addressing the Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari stated that the summit would draft a joint declaration condemning Israel’s actions, reflecting broad Arab and Islamic solidarity with Qatar and rejecting what he called Israel’s “state terrorism.” (ILKHA)