Israel launched a strike targeting Hamas' leadership in Qatar on Tuesday, marking a stunning escalation and risking upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages.

In contrast to previous Israeli operations against senior militants abroad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to publicly claim the strike, saying: “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility."

He said the decision was taken on Monday after a shooting attack in Jerusalem that killed six people and an attack on Israeli forces in Gaza that killed four soldiers.

Qatar, an energy-rich US ally hosting thousands of American troops, had served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas even before the war. It condemned what it referred to as a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms" as smoke rose over its capital, Doha.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt in the strike. Hamas has survived numerous assassinations of top leaders and is still intact in Gaza, despite having suffered major blows since the outbreak of the war triggered by its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Israel has long threatened to strike Hamas leaders wherever they are. While it has often welcomed Qatar's role as a mediator, alongside Egypt, it has also accused the Gulf nation of not putting enough pressure on the group.

Israel alerted the United States ahead of time, according to an Israeli official, a White House official, and another person familiar with the matter. The White House official would not say if Washington provided Israel with approval for carrying out the strike, but another US official said the American military did not participate.

All four officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

The Israeli military said it used “precise munitions and additional intelligence” in the strike, without elaborating. It was not immediately clear how it carried out the attack.

Qatar condemned what it referred to as a “cowardly Israeli attack” on Hamas’ political headquarters in Doha. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari called it a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms" and said Qatar “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior.”

Egypt, another key mediator with Hamas, condemned the attack, saying it targeted Palestinian leaders who had met “to discuss ways to reach a ceasefire agreement.” It said the strike was a “direct assault” on Qatar’s sovereignty.

The main group representing families of the hostages expressed “deep concern and great fear” after the strike. “The prospect of their return now faces greater uncertainty than ever, with one thing absolutely certain -- their time is running out,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

The US embassy in Qatar briefly instituted a shelter-in-place order for its staff, but later lifted that.

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