Israel launched an unprecedented airstrike in Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday, targeting a building used by senior Hamas officials in what Israeli authorities described as an attempt to assassinate leaders of the group.

Hamas said in statement on Tuesday evening that the attack occurred while its delegation was discussing a new ceasefire proposal presented by U.S. President Donald Trump. According to the group, the negotiating team survived, but six others, including the son of Hamas top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, were killed.

The strike would not change Hamas' demands for a ceasefire deal: "an immediate halt to the aggression against our people, the complete withdrawal of the occupying army from the Gaza Strip, a genuine prisoner exchange, humanitarian relief for our people, and reconstruction efforts," according to the statement.

In a joint statement, the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency confirmed responsibility, saying the strike targeted Hamas leaders "directly responsible for the October 7 massacre" and used "precise munitions and intelligence" to limit civilian harm.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "a wholly independent Israeli operation." "Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility," he said in a statement released by his office.

An Israeli official, speaking with Xinhua on the condition of anonymity, said more than a dozen warplanes took part and at least 10 bombs were dropped on the building. Preparations for the strike had been ongoing for months, the official said.

Trump says he feels 'very badly,' Qatar says it reserves the right to respond

The White House on Tuesday described Israel's attack in Doha as "unfortunate," saying that Trump feels "very badly" about the attack.

"Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America's goals," Trump said in a statement on social media.

Trump said he directed his envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar that the attack was coming but Qatar contradicted those comments, saying that reports that it got a heads-up before the attack were false and the phone call from a U.S. official came when blasts were already being heard in Doha.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Qatar reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack and will take all necessary measures to respond to the airstrikes, which threatened to derail the peace talks Qatar has been mediating between Hamas and Israel.

In a statement, the Qatari Interior Ministry said a member of its security forces was killed in the attack. The ministry condemned the strike as a "serious threat" to citizens and residents, a violation of sovereignty, and announced the suspension of ongoing negotiations.

International condemnations

The attack drew swift international condemnations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the strike as a "flagrant violation" of Qatar's sovereignty, urging all parties to work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it. The European Union called it a breach of international law, and the United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, called the act "blatant and cowardly."

Saudi Arabia also criticized what it called continued Israeli violations in the region, citing recent strikes in Syria's Homs and Latakia governorates as breaches of international law and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denounced the Doha strike as "extremely dangerous, criminal and in violation of the UN Charter," saying it was part of Israel's "continued crimes" against international law.

Other countries and organizations, including Egypt, Jordan, Türkiye and the Arab League, also rushed to condemn the Israeli attacks.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday in response to Israel's strikes in Qatar.

The airstrike followed Israel warning Palestinians to leave Gaza City, an area once home to about a million people, as it tries to destroy what is left of Hamas.

(With input from agencies)