LIVE From the Ashes
Hamas Vows 'Victory' After Failed Doha Strike: Al-Hayya’s First Words Since Son’s Death are Pure Venom
Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya addresses assassination attempt in Qatar, vows continued resistance despite son's death in Israeli strike on Hamas leadership meeting.
Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya has emerged from a period of silence to address a failed assassination attempt against him in Doha last month, speaking publicly for the first time in a pre-recorded interview aired on Al-Araby on Sunday morning.
The high-profile Qatari strike, which targeted senior Hamas figures, reportedly resulted in the death of al-Hayya's son and his chief of staff. During the interview, al-Hayya detailed the attack and the resulting casualties.
Al-Hayya struck a defiant and collective tone when discussing the loss of life, emphasizing that his personal grief was inseparable from the broader conflict.
“The pain of losing those close to me does not erase the killing and destruction in the Gaza Strip,” al-Hayya stated.
He further underscored this sentiment by declaring that he made no distinction between his own kin and other Palestinian casualties.
"I make no distinction between my sons and any Palestinian child killed by Israel," he asserted, according to the Al-Araby broadcast.
Call to Resistance and 'Victory'
Framing the deaths as a source of inspiration for continued resistance, al-Hayya praised those killed as "martyrs".
"We pray that their blood will be the path to victory, to Jerusalem, to Israel’s humiliation, and to the triumph of the Islamic and Arab nation," he said.
Details of the Operation
The incident occurred several weeks ago when explosions rocked the Katara district of Doha. A senior Israeli official subsequently confirmed that Israel had targeted members of the Hamas leadership in Qatar, specifically naming al-Hayya and fellow official Zaher Jabarin.
Palestinian sources reported that the strike took place while members of Hamas's leadership were meeting to discuss the "Trump framework." A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the negotiating team had convened in Doha when the attack occurred.
In addition to al-Hayya, the meeting was reportedly attended by a number of other high-ranking officials, including Khaled Mashaal, Ghazi Hamad, Muhammad Darwish, Mousa Abu Marzouk, and Husam Badran, according to the Saudi broadcaster Al-Hadath.
Despite the scope and nature of the operation, Israeli defense officials later concluded that none of the senior Hamas leaders targeted in the strike had been successfully eliminated.