After Israel carried out airstrikes in Qatar targeting Hamas leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that the immunity of terror leaders abroad is “now over,” while predicting that the strikes could end the war in Gaza.

Politicians across the political spectrum also celebrated the attack, hailing the security and intelligence services and issuing warnings to remaining Hamas leaders who reside outside of Gaza and the West Bank.

According to Israeli officials, the strike was aimed at top Hamas leaders, including Khalil al-Hayya, the terror group’s exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator. An official said that Israel was increasingly optimistic that they were killed, though Hamas sources claimed the top officials survived the attack.

Right after the strike was carried out, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed responsibility and said that it was an entirely Israeli operation, implying that the US was not involved.

“Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” the PMO wrote. “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”

In a joint statement, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strike was a direct response to Monday’s deadly terror shooting at a bus stop in Jerusalem that killed six and a Hamas attack on an Israeli tank in northern Gaza that killed four soldiers.

Prime Minister's Office:

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.

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 9, 2025

According to the statement, Netanyahu told security agencies Monday night to prepare for a strike on Hamas leaders abroad, and Katz had “fully supported the move.”

Then, an “operational opportunity” was identified at noon on Tuesday, the statement added, and the IDF and Shin Bet received the green light to go ahead with the attack.

“The prime minister and defense minister believed the operation was fully justified, given that this Hamas leadership was the one that initiated and organized the October 7 massacre,” Netanyahu and Katz said, “and has since continued to carry out murderous attacks against Israel and its citizens, including taking responsibility for the murder of our civilians in yesterday’s attack in Jerusalem.”

Speaking at a US Embassy........

© The Times of Israel