Latest update March 26th, 2026 7:55 AM
Israel kills over 60 in Gaza as strikes on Qatar roil the region
(AL-JAZEERA) Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed more than 60 people on Wednesday as the assault to capture Gaza City and force one million Palestinians from their homes continues.
Those killed include 44 in Gaza City, and nine aid seekers.
In the wake of escalating hostilities and calls to evacuate Gaza City, the number of people leaving nearly doubled the daily average in recent weeks [Khames Alrefi/Anadolu Agency]
Widespread global condemnation has erupted after Israel attacked Hamas’s senior leadership in the Qatari capital, Doha, Tuesday, as a US-proposed ceasefire was discussed for the war-battered Gaza Strip.
Hamas political bureau member Hussam Badran condemned Israel’s strike in Qatar, calling it a “crime” that endangers the security and stability of the region.
Badran said the attack confirmed that Israel was “not a normal state but a group of gangs and killers operating with extreme, racist beliefs”. He warned that Israel’s actions represent a genuine threat to the entire Middle East, not just the Palestinian people.
He stressed that Palestinians would continue to defend themselves and that the movement had received messages of solidarity from across Palestinian factions and national figures.
Qatar’s prime minister has condemned the attack in Doha as “state terrorism” by Israel. He’s called it a treacherous act that goes against all international norms. That’s something that’s been echoed by leaders from all over the world.
There’s a long list of leaders who have spoken to the Qatari Emir since the attack, and now some of them have started visiting.
We’ve just seen a visit concluded by the president of the United Arab Emirates. We’re expecting the crown prince of Jordan sometime later today, and it’s expected the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, will also be arriving sometime tomorrow.
It seems all these states that were talking about normalisation with Israel only recently are now looking at this as an attack on one of their closest allies, neighbours and partners.
The attack in the Gulf Cooperation Council has sent reverberations across the region. And Qataris have been quite insistent that the response will not come only from Qatar itself – it’s going to be a regional response.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem gave a televised speech, saying that Iran continues to back the Palestinian people and their resistance, describing it as a “unifying cause” for the Muslim world.
Qassem accused Israel and the US of committing “heinous crimes” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, while praising Palestinian resilience and resistance despite mounting hardships. He described the recent shooting in occupied East Jerusalem as a “bold operation” proving that Palestinians remain determined to fight.
He also condemned the recent Israeli strike on Qatar’s capital, Doha, calling it part of Israel’s broader project to expand its regional dominance.
Qassem said that resistance in Palestine, Lebanon and across the region is what continues to block Israel’s ambitions.
The UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory says it has recorded many more Israeli attacks on northern Gaza since August 8, when the Israeli government stated that it would seize control of Gaza City.
The office says the increase in attacks has resulted in “the destruction of significant numbers of residential buildings along with the systematic demolition of entire residential neighbourhoods in northern Gaza” and that further strikes risk the “complete destruction” of what little civilian infrastructure remains.
Since August 8, the UN says it has recorded 270 Israeli attacks on residential buildings in Gaza City and Northern Gaza, with at least 379 Palestinians killed. At least 92 Palestinians have been killed during the same period in 44 Israeli strikes on tents set up by displaced Palestinians, although it notes the true number is likely far higher. Most attacks occurred with no prior warning given.
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