One day after Israel’s attempted strike on senior Hamas leaders in Doha, Channel 12 News reported that the group narrowly escaped death by stepping out of the room to perform the noon prayer.
According to the report, the Hamas leaders had left their mobile phones behind in the room when they went out to pray—misleading Israeli intelligence and prompting the strike at a moment when the targets were no longer present.
The Israeli military, in coordination with the Shin Bet security agency, had earlier claimed it conducted a “precise” operation targeting Hamas officials in Qatar.
A statement from the Israel Defense Forces said:
“Prior to the operation, steps were taken—including the use of precision munitions and supplementary intelligence—to minimize civilian casualties.”
Hamas, while confirming the deaths of five lower-ranking members, stated that none of its top leaders were killed in the attack.
Despite Israeli claims of precision, many analysts have described the operation as a failure, pointing to the survival of its intended targets.
So far, Israeli officials have not commented on the Channel 12 report.
