Announcing the new proposed measures during a state of the union speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Von der Leyen reiterates that "Europe's goal has always been the same: Real security for Israel and a safe present, and future, for all Palestinians."

There is no place for Hamas "now, nor in the future", she says, going on to demand the release of hostages currently being held by the group, "unrestrained access" to humanitarian aid in Gaza, and an immediate ceasefire.

"The only realistic peace plan is based on two states living side by side in peace" she says, with a "secure Israel, viable Palestinian authority" and the "scourge of Hamas removed".

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

The European Union will propose putting bilateral support to Israel "on hold", says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

She says this will not affect "civil society" or Israel's official Holocaust memorial institution.

In a post on X, von der Leyen says they will also propose new sanctions on "extremist ministers and violent settlers", and a "partial suspension of trade" under the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The organisation will also set up a donation group, including a "dedicated instrument for Gaza reconstruction".

"What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world," von der Leyen writes. "Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war. This must stop."

Image source, EPA

Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha was “shocking", says Hossam Zaki, the Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League, an the alliance of Arab countries that cooperate on military and economic affairs.

But, he adds, that he “does not warrant any retaliatory steps that would inflame the situation even further".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Zaki dismisses Israel’s explanation for the strike - that they targeted those behind the 7 October attacks - as “lame.”

He says that these Hamas leaders have been in Doha for decades. “It is now that Israel has discovered that they were in charge on 7 October?” he adds.

Zaki says it's up to the US to assert influence over Israel, saying that “only the US can rein in such madness".

Asked about the impact on the negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, he replies that “I frankly do not have a ready answer.”

But it “does no good".

“Since they were trying to kill the negotiating team of Hamas - you can draw your own conclusions,” he says.

More now from that interview with Fleur Hassan-Nahoum.

She's asked to respond to criticism from some Israelis, including from some politicians as well as the family members of hostages, that yesterday's strike will only endanger the lives of Israelis still held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

"They could be correct," she says. "This could be something which is fatal for the hostages and that would be horrible."

"Or the pressure exerted on Hamas now that leadership is destroyed, maybe gets them to the point of actually surrendering a war they started and they are losing," she says.

For context: Hamas says that five of its members were killed in the attack, but claims Israel "failed" to kill its negotiating team.

Presenter Anna Foster says the words will be "cold comfort" for the families of hostages who "have repeatedly called" for a ceasefire to allow for their release.

Hassan-Nahoun says "ultimately a country has to do its upmost to defend its people, to defend its existence".

Foster interjects, asking: "How is attacking Qatar keeping Israelis safe?"

"We attacked Hamas in Qatar", Hassan-Nahoun replies, saying the group is the "biggest existential threat to Israel".

Image source, AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

We've just been hearing from Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Israel's special envoy for trade and innovation and a former deputy mayor of Jerusalem.

On BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she is asked by presenter Anna Foster "what gives Israel the right to attack Qatar" given they didn't attack Israel on 7 October 2023.

Hassan-Nahoum says: "Well I wouldn't say they had nothing to do with that, Qatar has been hosting Hamas for decades". As a reminder, Qatar has hosted Hamas's political bureau since 2012 and has played a key role in facilitating indirect negotiations between the group and Israel since the 7 October attacks.

She adds: "For you to ask me that question is like saying 'what gives the Americans the right to kill Bin Laden in Pakistan?'"

For context: In 2011 US forces killed former al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden - who is believed to have ordered the attacks on the US on 11 September 2001 - in a ground operation in Pakistan, where he was hiding.

The targets of the Israeli strike in Doha, Hassan-Nahoum says, are "a terrorist group".

Foster presses her on the legalities of the strike. "What makes Israel exempt from international law?" she asks.

Hassan-Nahoum accuses Foster of doing "what many journalists do, which is double standards with Israel - you hold us to standards you hold no one to."

"Ultimately, if there's a group of terrorists whose whole purpose is the destruction of a country, they are not immune through international law to be destroyed," she says.

Israel's strike in Doha was "an act of self defence", says former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

He tells BBC Newsnight that the targets of the strike were "terrorist architects" who "continue to conduct attacks on Israel's soil" - citing a deadly shooting at a bus stop in Jerusalem on Monday.

"Hamas took responsibility for that, so we have to defend our people," he says.

Asked if he is concerned about the impact this strike will have on the hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, Bennett says: "If we don't act, they will die".

Bennett adds: "Hamas doesn't want to release them unless it can remain a terror state on our border."

While Bennett says he has "intense" domestic criticism of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, the former leader says: "I support Israel internationally in our fight to defend ourselves."

Wyre Davies
Reporting from Jerusalem

Although Israeli political figures across the spectrum have defended Israel’s decision to target Hamas leaders in exile, there is reported to be concern in Israeli military circles that the attempt to assassinate the movement’s senior leadership in Doha may have failed – with only relatively minor figures reported to be among the fatalities.

Israel is unlikely to get a second chance to target Hamas’ senior leadership - at least on Qatari soil - as Donald Trump promised Qatar a strike like yesterday’s would not happen again.

Qatar itself today has accused Israel of committing an act of state terrorism but amid a storm of international condemnation - including from many of its allies - Israel remains defiant.

Defence Minister Israel Katz has vowed to act against its enemies and continue the war in Gaza, unless all hostages are released and Hamas lays down its weapons.

With any ceasefire process apparently in tatters and Israel intensifying attacks on Gaza City, the prospects for Gaza’s war-weary civilian population and the hostages remaining in captivity are ominous

Our correspondents have been analysing yesterday's strike - here's what they've been saying:

The Israeli strike in Doha was a "shocking attack on a prominent part of the capital", home to multiple embassies, luxury hotels and close to Qatar's parliament, says our correspondent there, Azadeh Moshiri.

Firing at Qatar - a nation positioning itself as the Switzerland of the Middle East - "shows that Israel has given up on talks" to end the war in Gaza, writes our International Editor Jeremy Bowen.

"The faltering Gaza peace talks, brokered and hosted by Qatar, have come to a screeching halt," security correspondent Frank Gardner writes. He adds that this is "bad news" for both the Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza.

Our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams says that if the strike in Doha was not the success Israel was looking for, it could "start to look like an expensive gamble".

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is "clearly angry and frustrated" by the decision to strike, says North America editor Sarah Smith.

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Defence Minister Israel Katz says Israel's "long arm will act against its enemies everywhere" and "there is no place to hide".

Referencing Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel, Katz writes in a post on X that everyone "who carries out terror against Israel will be harmed".

Katz adds that if Hamas does not accept Israel's conditions for ending the war - primarily the release of all hostages and disarmament - both they, and Gaza, "will be destroyed".

The UN Security Council will hold a meeting later today to discuss the fallout from Israel’s strikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar.

The meeting is expected to take place in New York at 15:00 local time (20:00BST).

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us, here's a recap of what happened:

What happened

Israel carried out a strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday afternoon.

Israeli media reported the strike was carried out using 15 Israeli fighter jets, firing 10 munitions against a single target. Witnesses in Doha said they heard as many as eight separate explosions.

Hamas said five of its members were killed but claims its top leadership survived.

What have Israel, Qatar and Hamas said about the attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was "fully justified" because it targeted senior Hamas leaders who organised the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war.

Hamas said the strike was "a heinous crime, a blatant aggression, and a flagrant violation of all international norms and laws".

Qatar said the attack was a "blatant violation" of international laws, as well as being a "serious threat" to those in Qatar.

The international reaction

US President Donald Trump said "we are not thrilled about the way that went down today." He said he found out about the attack from the US military as the strikes were underway. He also said that eliminating Hamas "is a worthy goal.”

The leaders of the UK, France and the UN have condemned the attack.

Sarah Smith
North America editor

President Trump is clearly angry and frustrated by the Israeli attack on Doha, saying he was "very unhappy about every aspect of it".

Speaking to reporters in Washington last night, he made his displeasure known:

"I'm not thrilled about the whole situation. It's not a good situation, but I will say this - we want the hostages back, but we are not thrilled about the way that went down today."

He added: "I'm never surprised by anything, especially when it comes to the Middle East."

In a post on his social media site earlier, Trump wrote that the decision to attack was taken by the Israeli Prime Minster, Benjamin Netanyahu, and not by him. And that by the time his administration had been notified of the attack - by the US military - it was too late to stop the bombing.

He added that unilaterally bombing Qatar, which he described as a strong ally and friend of the United States, did not advance Israel or America’s goals.

President Trump said he'd spoken to both the Prime Minister and Emir of Qatar to assure them that such an attack would not happen again on their soil.

The Israeli strike hit Doha mid-afternoon local time yesterday.

CCTV footage captured the moment the strike hit, sending plumes of smoke into the sky, blanketing the surrounding area.

What now for Qatar and the Middle East?published at 06:00 BST 10 September

06:00 BST 10 September

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

This is now the second time in three months that tiny, wealthy Qatar has found itself on the receiving end of incoming missiles, the other being Iran’s token attack in June on the US airbase at al-Udeid, just outside Doha.

There will be some within the ruling Al-Thani family, one of the richest dynasties in the Gulf, who must be questioning the wisdom of hosting both the leadership of a proscribed terrorist organisation and a massive US military base.

After all, Qatar is busy enough investing its vast gas wealth in buying strategic stakes in less dangerous entities like London property.

So where does this leave the rest of the Middle East?

The faltering Gaza peace talks, brokered and hosted by Qatar, have come to a screeching halt. That’s bad news for the Israeli hostages, whose lives must be in even more mortal danger, and bad news for the people of Gaza, whose daily agony continues unabated.

Across the region, Israel had already shown that with an effective green light from this US administration it can strike anywhere with impunity: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Yemen.

But hitting Qatar may be too much for even the Trump administration. If there is to be a backlash in the region it will quite possibly target US interests, rather than the less accessible Israeli ones.

We're still gathering information about yesterday's strike in Doha. If you were there, please share your experiences:

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Japan, a US ally, has released a statement condemning Israel's attack.

"This attack by Israel is an act that hinders diplomatic efforts, threatens the sovereignty and security of Qatar and by extension the stability of the region. Japan strongly condemns this act," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said in the statement, which was made at the start of the day in Asia.

Witnesses in Doha said they heard as many as eight separate explosions on Tuesday afternoon, with plumes of smoke rising above the city's northern Katara district.

It's 5:30 in London and 7:30 in Doha, where an Israeli air strike yesterday in Qatar's capital - which it says was aimed at Hamas leaders - killed five people and drew global outrage.

US President Donald Trump said he's "not thrilled" about the strike, adding to the global leaders who have condemned the attack as an unprecedented expansion of Israel's war against Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered "a surgical, precision strike" against Hamas members who he said organised the 7 October 2023 attack.

Hamas said the attack on a residential compound "failed" to assassinate its negotiating team, which was meeting to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said his country "reserves the right" to respond to Israel's "blatant attack", adding that the US warned them of it 10 minutes after it had started.

Similar statements of outrage came from across the Arab world, with Saudi Arabia denouncing what it described as the "brutal Israeli aggression".

UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the strike as a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar".

French President Emmanuel Macron said the strike was "unacceptable regardless of motive", while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned of the risk of "further escalation across the region".

Pope Leo XIV told journalists that "the entire situation is very serious".

Stay with us as we resume our live coverage of this story.

Hafsa Khalil
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

What we know

Israel has carried out an air strike on a residential compound in Doha that Hamas said killed five of its members, but "failed" to assassinate its negotiating team that was meeting to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered "a surgical, precision strike" on Hamas in response to the group's 7 October 2023 attack and a shooting in Jerusalem that killed six yesterday.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said his country "reserves the right" to respond to Israel's "blatant attack", adding that the US warned them of it 10 minutes after it had started.

US President Donald Trump said he was informed of the attack by the US military, and he "immediately directed" US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris - but adds that it was "too late".

On the ground, a UK teacher who works in Doha said the blast brought back a "sense of panic", while another resident said her mind went "straight back" to Iran's strikes in the city in June.

What happens next?

This is the second time in three months that Qatar has found itself on the receiving end of incoming missiles, the other being Iran’s token attack in June on the US airbase at al-Udeid, just outside Doha.

With Qatar being a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, it's now unclear how this latest strike will impact ceasefire negotiations between the two sides going forward, with the faltering talks having come to a halt.

As our security correspondent Frank Gardner puts it, that’s bad news for the Israeli hostages, whose lives must be in even more danger, and bad news for the people of Gaza, whose daily agony continues unabated.

We're pausing our live coverage of Israel's attack on senior Hamas leaders in Doha. You can read more about the incident in our news story.

The BBC has spoken to Democrat Senator Chris Coons about Israel's attack in Doha earlier.

Coons says it was "striking" that Israel, a close US ally, did not inform the US administration of their plan to strike Hamas leaders in Qatar.

"It suggests a real fraying of the trust between Israel and the United States, that neither the senior leadership of Congress nor President Trump was notified in advance," he says.

"This has long been a very close relationship, but there's been more and more strain in recent months as many of us in Congress have called for an end to the war in Gaza, for a ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas."

Coons also notes that the large US military presence in Qatar was another reason why the US would have expected to be notified of Israel's action.