According to military officials, more than 10 Israeli Air Force fighter jets were part of the airstrike in Qatar, dropping over 10 munitions on a building believed to be housing Hamas leaders. All munitions reportedly hit the target within seconds, in a precise operation.

The jets carried out several aerial refuelings en route to and from Israel.

Israeli officials expressed increasing confidence that Hamas leadership was targeted and believed to have been killed in the strike, pointing out that Hamas has historically tried to conceal the loss of its leaders in past operations.

Israel is increasingly optimistic that its strike on Hamas’s leadership in Qatar was successful, Army Radio cites a defense official as saying.

“It looks good, we knew Hamas would try to hide what happened there,” the official is quoted as saying.

A “senior defense official” issued a statement to reporters, suggesting that the Israeli strike on Hamas’s leadership in Qatar could potentially end the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

“The beheading of Hamas’s leadership today in Qatar is a brilliant and powerful operation carried out by the IDF and the Shin Bet in accordance with the directive of the prime minister and defense minister,” the official said.

He described the operation, named Summit of Fire, as “a significant step in the victory over the Hamas terror organization, delivers justice to those responsible for the October 7 massacre, and strengthens Israel’s deterrent image, and may also generate a change of direction that will bring an end to the war in Gaza under the conditions set by the State of Israel, foremost among them the release of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas.”

“This is also a message to the residents of Gaza that the time has come to rebel against the weakened Hamas and to act to end the war,” the official added.

Arabic media outlets are reporting that five people were killed in the strike in Qatar, but they were identified as Hamas members who were not part of the leadership. The reports identify the deceased as Himam al-Hayya, son of Hamas Gaza leader Khalil al-Hayya; Jihad Labad Abu Bilal, Khalil al-Hayya’s office director; and three “associates,” possibly bodyguards or advisers of senior Hamas officials—Abdullah Abu Khalil, Moamen Abu Omar, and Ahmad Abu Malek.

Earlier, Hamas sources told Reuters that the terror group’s officials in the ceasefire negotiating team survived the Israeli attack.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)