TEL AVIV
\nIsraeli airstrikes have destroyed a newly built residential tower in Gaza City, hours after explosions shook Qatar\u2019s 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.
\nWitnesses 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.
\n\u201cThe building collapsed like paper,\u201d said Mahmoud al-Khaldi, a survivor who had relocated to the tower after his neighborhood was flattened in earlier strikes. \u201cWe have nowhere left to go.\u201d The Israeli military confirmed the strike, claiming the tower was being used as a Hamas command center. Hamas denied the allegation, calling it a \u201cblatant attack on civilians.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, Qatar has accused Israel of violating its sovereignty after several explosions were reported in Doha\u2019s 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 \u201cassassination attempt\u201d targeting its top officials.
\nWhile no casualties have been confirmed, the incident has raised alarm across the Gulf. Qatar\u2019s Foreign Ministry issued a sharp condemnation, warning that the strikes represented a \u201creckless provocation\u201d that threatened regional peace. The U.S. State Department said it was \u201curgently seeking clarity\u201d from Israel.
\nThe 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. \u201cIsrael\u2019s decision to strike in Doha is unprecedented,\u201d said Lina Khatib, a Middle East expert. \u201cIt could trigger a major diplomatic crisis, especially with Qatar hosting sensitive negotiations.\u201d As the war expands, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate.
\nThe United Nations warned that repeated displacement and destruction of residential buildings are pushing civilians into \u201can impossible situation.\u201d For many in Gaza, the strike on the tower is another devastating blow. \u201cEvery time we build, they destroy,\u201d said Umm Khaled, a mother of three who fled the rubble with her children. \u201cWe are being erased.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TEL AVIV Israeli airstrikes have destroyed a newly built residential tower in Gaza City, hours after explosions shook Qatar\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":502150,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-502126","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n