Hamas Official Khalil al-Hayya Addresses Failed Assassination Attempt in Qatar

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya has publicly addressed the assassination attempt he survived in Qatar nearly a month ago. In a prerecorded interview aired on Al-Araby, al-Hayya recounted the attack that resulted in the deaths of his son and chief of staff. He emphasized the shared suffering of his personal loss and the broader casualties in Gaza, stating, "The pain of losing those close to me does not erase the killing and destruction in the Gaza Strip." Al-Hayya expressed no distinction between his family members and other Palestinian victims, remarking, "I make no distinction between my sons and any Palestinian child killed by Israel." He honored those killed as martyrs and viewed their deaths as motivation for continued resistance, saying, "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." The assassination attempt occurred last month in Doha's Katara district, where explosions targeted Hamas leadership figures, including al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin. A senior Hamas source confirmed the deaths of al-Hayya’s son and chief of staff in the attack. The strike took place during a Hamas leadership meeting discussing the Trump framework. Despite the operation's scope, Israeli defense officials later concluded that none of the senior Hamas leaders targeted had been eliminated.