New Details: Hamas Leaders Fled Six Waves of Israeli Airstrikes in Doha Moments Before Attack

New details emerging in Turkish media shed light on the precision and intensity of Israel’s failed attempt to assassinate senior Hamas officials in Doha last month, revealing that the leadership narrowly escaped a six-wave missile attack thanks to a last-minute decision by one of the victims.

According to reports by Turkish media outlets TRT and Yeni Şafak, the Israeli operation involved six consecutive air strikes, each launching two missiles, and commenced roughly 15 hours after U.S. President Donald Trump submitted his final proposal for a comprehensive hostage deal.

Hamas’s internal investigation reportedly concluded that the leadership was saved when Maam al-Hayya, the son of chief Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, abruptly changed the location of a high-level meeting. Maam al-Hayya was killed in the subsequent strike.

The Security Tightrope The timeline reveals a swift and covert assembly of Hamas's top brass. After receiving Trump's proposal at 1 a.m., Hamas officials scheduled a critical meeting for 2 p.m. that afternoon. The officials arrived at the Hamas headquarters compound in disguise, adhering to what Turkish reports described as "an unusually strict security protocol." Earlier that morning, Maam al-Hayya, his office director Jihad Lubad, and Hamas’s chief of security finalized the complex security plan.

Extensive precautions were taken to evade technological tracking. All personal and wireless devices were confiscated from participants, who were instead issued special encrypted phones provided by Hamas's security forces. This measure is believed to have prevented Israel from pinpointing the delegation’s exact location through signal tracing technology.

After the leaders had arrived, Maam al-Hayya insisted they "follow the security guidelines" and immediately relocate to another building. The leaders were moved under heavy guard, delaying the meeting while Khalil al-Hayya spoke with the Qatari mediator. The meeting finally began at 2:12 p.m.

Six Waves of Attack The Israeli air strikes began at 3:46 p.m. The initial missiles struck the building housing al-Hayya’s family and office, killing Maam al-Hayya. The second strike eliminated Jihad Lubad and two other Hamas members, Muaman Hassouna and Ahmad Abd al-Malik. The third strike killed Abdullah Abd al-Wahid, the bodyguard of senior Hamas official Bassem Naim, as he attempted to rescue the wounded.

The fourth and fifth attacks targeted al-Hayya’s family residence, wounding family members, while the sixth struck the Qatari special security unit guarding the compound.

By 3:51 p.m., Hamas’s security chief activated an emergency evacuation plan. The leaders were evacuated separately using emergency vehicles to secure sites, and the wounded were rushed to hospitals. Once the leadership was accounted for, Hamas began coordinating its media response to prevent what they termed "public panic."

The targeted complex, which began construction in 2021 and was occupied by Hamas in 2024, includes five villas, the main Hamas headquarters, Khalil al-Hayya’s office and residence, and facilities for Qatari security forces. Crucially, it sits within the sensitive diplomatic district of Doha, just hundreds of meters from multiple foreign embassies.