News Desk
TELAVIV: Israeli airstrikes have destroyed a newly built residential tower in Gaza City, hours after explosions shook Qatar’s capital Doha in what Hamas officials described as an Israeli attempt to assassinate senior leaders.
The twin developments mark a dangerous escalation in the conflict, stretching beyond Gaza and deepening fears of a regional conflagration.
Witnesses said the tower, one of the last remaining high-rises in the city, was struck late Tuesday evening, reducing it to rubble. Families displaced from northern Gaza who had taken shelter there were forced once again to flee with their belongings. Civil defense teams reported dozens injured, with rescue efforts continuing into the night.
“The building collapsed like paper,” said Mahmoud al-Khaldi, a survivor who had relocated to the tower after his neighborhood was flattened in earlier strikes. “We have nowhere left to go.”
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, claiming the tower was being used as a Hamas command center. Hamas denied the allegation, calling it a “blatant attack on civilians.”
Meanwhile, Qatar has accused Israel of violating its sovereignty after several explosions were reported in Doha’s diplomatic district, where Hamas political leaders were holding talks with mediators on a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.
A Hamas source told Al Jazeera the explosions were an “assassination attempt” targeting its top officials. While no casualties have been confirmed, the incident has raised alarm across the Gulf.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry issued a sharp condemnation, warning that the strikes represented a “reckless provocation” that threatened regional peace. The U.S. State Department said it was “urgently seeking clarity” from Israel.
The attacks have further complicated ongoing negotiations for a Gaza truce, already hampered by mutual distrust. Analysts say the move risks dragging new actors into the conflict.
“Israel’s decision to strike in Doha is unprecedented,” said Lina Khatib, a Middle East expert. “It could trigger a major diplomatic crisis, especially with Qatar hosting sensitive negotiations.”
As the war expands, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. The United Nations warned that repeated displacement and destruction of residential buildings are pushing civilians into “an impossible situation.”
For many in Gaza, the strike on the tower is another devastating blow. “Every time we build, they destroy,” said Umm Khaled, a mother of three who fled the rubble with her children. “We are being erased.”
