The Israeli military says it took out senior leadership of Hamas that was living safely in Qatar, safe from the military offensive being waged against Hamas in Gaza since its October 7, 2023, terrorist attack.

In a “precise strike,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) struck deep into the heart of Hamas’s leadership — not in Gaza, but in the plush Katara neighborhood of Doha, Qatar, a longtime haven for the terror group’s senior command.

Among those reportedly targeted: Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy to former Gaza Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and head of Hamas’s negotiation team; Zaher Jabarin, a key figure in Hamas’s military wing; and others including Hussam Badran, Taher al-Nono, and Ali Darwish — all known operatives tied to the planning and execution of the October 7 massacre that left over 1,200 Israelis dead.

The IDF released this statement:

The IDF and ISA conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization. For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel. Prior to the strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence. The IDF and ISA will continue to operate with determination in order to defeat the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for the October 7 massacre.

🚨JUST IN: First footage from Doha, the capital of Qatar https://t.co/N4LXArfZ5J pic.twitter.com/BI3jc36WXf

— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) September 9, 2025

Qatar responded on Tuesday by condemning the attack, calling it a “blatant violation of all international laws and norms.”

Amid speculation about United States involvement in the strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “wholly independent Israeli operation.”

“Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” Netanyahu said. “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”

The attack comes just days after the United States indicated it was running out of patience with the terrorist group. On Sunday, President Donald Trump gave his final warning to Hamas, writing on Truth Social: “I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting.”

The Hamas terror masterminds had been living comfortably in Qatar, a country that openly harbors Hamas leaders, funds their operations, and maintains warm ties with Iran — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Mashal — chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from 1996 until May 2017, when he was succeeded by Haniyeh — and Moussa Abu Marzouk — all with blood on their hands — had maintained a political base in Doha, where they celebrated the October 7 atrocities from afar.

Hamas leaders on October 7 were praying in Doha, Qatar while watching the massacre unfolding on television. I suspect some of these leaders were targeted today by Israel. pic.twitter.com/z2zBxoiHBa

— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) September 9, 2025

Back in 2017, U.S. lawmakers raised the alarm about Qatar’s terror ties. Former congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) blasted the Gulf state for acting as a revolving door for Hamas, the Taliban, and al-Qaeda-linked financiers. “Qatar has openly housed Hamas leaders… and has failed to prosecute them,” she warned, citing evidence of financial support even to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11.

Former Treasury official David Cohen echoed those concerns, describing Qatar as a “permissive terrorist financing environment,” where fundraisers for groups like Hamas and ISIS operated freely — often as local agents of broader networks stretching into Kuwait.

Despite claiming to serve as a “moderating force,” Qatar has pumped billions of dollars to Hamas. Some of that money has been used to buy fuel from Egypt — fuel Hamas then resells to fund its terror machine. Other funds have gone directly into paying Hamas’s so-called “civil workers” in Gaza.

The death of Haniyeh — Hamas’s political bureau chief — in a July 2024 bombing in Tehran underscored the tangled web of alliances between Hamas, Iran, and Qatar.

Qatar’s role as a safe harbor for terrorists has long been an open secret. Now, with strikes reaching Doha, it may finally be on notice: harboring terrorists comes at a cost.

The brutal murder of a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte highlights the deadly consequences of “soft-on-crime” policies in Democrat-run cities. The Supreme Court gives the green light for Trump’s ICE raids in Los Angeles as the U.S. and its allies coordinate on a global immigration crackdown. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fires back at Democrats who are demanding his resignation, vowing to continue his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

It’s Tuesday, September 9, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.

Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:

If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:

Charlotte Murder Highlights Failures of ‘Soft-on-Crime’ Policies

Topline: The brutal, unprovoked murder of a Ukrainian refugee on a light rail train has left the city of Charlotte in shock and anger, putting a national spotlight on the deadly consequences of Democrat-led “soft-on-crime” policies.

Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was stabbed to death last month by DeCarlos Brown Jr., a homeless man with a lengthy and violent criminal record. The horrific attack took place in what was once a safe, trendy part of the city, but residents say rising crime and a growing homeless population have made them feel unsafe. Charlotte saw a 25% increase in its homicide rate last year, and robberies in the city center are up 54%.

The city’s Democratic mayor, Li Vyles, responded to the murder by calling for empathy for the perpetrator’s mental health issues, and did not mention the victim in her initial statement. Brown was on the streets despite at least 14 previous arrests for crimes, including armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. A judge gave him pre-trial release on his most recent arrest in January, and police had referred him “to resources” rather than jail after three other encounters in 2024. The policies that kept Brown out of jail were recommended by a “Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice,” which was created by North Carolina’s now-Governor, Democrat Josh Stein, in 2020.

Supreme Court Upholds Trump’s ICE Raids in Los Angeles

Topline: The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration a major victory on Monday, ruling that federal immigration officials can continue their sweeping raids in the Los Angeles area and can consider factors like ethnicity and accent when detaining suspected illegal immigrants.

The Court’s ruling overturns a lower court judge’s decision that had blocked the raids. Writing for the liberal minority, Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a dramatic dissent, claiming the court was subjecting people to the “indignities” of being handcuffed “simply because of their looks, their accents.”

Border Czar Tom Homan pushed back on that characterization, stating that ICE is focused on public safety. “Seventy percent of everybody ICE is arresting is a criminal,” Homan said. The raids have yielded significant results, with over 1,600 arrests in D.C. alone, many of whom are suspected gang members and other violent offenders.

The ruling comes as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem meets with the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance in London to coordinate a global crackdown on human smuggling. The U.K.’s new Home Secretary has signaled a tougher stance on immigration that is more aligned with the Trump administration’s policies.

RFK Fires Back as Democrats Demand His Resignation

Topline: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing back against a coordinated campaign by Democrats demanding his resignation, vowing to continue his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda and restore integrity to public health.

At least a dozen Democratic senators, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have signed a letter calling Kennedy’s agenda “dangerous” and “anti-science.” Former Republican Chris Christie also attacked Kennedy, calling him a “joke” and a “human middle finger to everybody who opposed” Trump.

Blue state governors are also pushing back against Kennedy’s reforms. New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order to override new FDA guidance on COVID shots, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation to ensure access to the abortion pill mifepristone, regardless of future FDA safety assessments.

Kennedy, who enjoys broad public support for his agenda, has fiercely defended his actions. He has accused major medical organizations of being compromised by their Big Pharma sponsors and has vowed to bring in “new blood” and people “who are committed to public health, and integrity, and gold-standard science.” His department has already reformed baby formula standards, required drug price transparency, and stopped federal funding for gender surgeries for minors, among other changes.