Stealth jets flew 2,000km for Qatar strike: How Israel pulled off the attack

Dubai: Israel’s unprecedented strike on Doha’s upscale West Bay Lagoon — a neighbourhood that houses foreign embassies and wealthy residences — has raised urgent questions about how such an attack could have been carried out in the heart of a Gulf state.

According to Israeli sources cited by CNN, the attack was “months in the making” and involved more than 10 fighter jets firing over 10 precision munitions at a single target.

The jets required mid-air refuelling to reach Qatar, underscoring the operation’s scale and complexity.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the weapons used went undetected by radar.

Hamas confirmed that five of its officials were killed, including the son and office director of its exiled Gaza chief Khalil Al Hayya, though Al Hayya himself was not among the dead. A Qatari security officer was also killed.

The choice of aircraft

Military experts believe Israel relied on its stealthy F-35I “Adir” jets, likely paired with F-15I Ra’am fighters for cover.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Professor Ahmed Hashim of Deakin University said the Adirs were almost certainly used, fitted with external fuel tanks and armed with stand-off missiles capable of striking from outside Qatari airspace.

Inside Israel’s stealth arsenal

• F-35I “Adir”
  Israel’s customised version of the US-built F-35. The “Adir,” meaning Mighty in Hebrew, features Israeli-made electronic warfare systems, weapons integration, and software tweaks. Designed for deep strikes, it can evade radar and deliver precision stand-off munitions without entering hostile airspace.

• F-15I “Ra’am”
  A long-range strike fighter modified for the Israeli Air Force. The “Ra’am,” or Thunder, can carry heavy payloads and provide air cover. Analysts believe Ra’ams may have accompanied Adirs during the Qatar strike to shield them from interception.

• Stealth factor
  The F-35’s low radar signature makes detection difficult, especially when launching stand-off missiles from hundreds of kilometres away. Experts say this stealth profile likely allowed the jets to cross regional airspace undetected.

“The missiles would do the job from a stand-off distance,” Prof. Hashim told ABC, adding that ground intelligence likely guided the weapons to their target. He stressed that it was improbable the jets were directly over Doha — the precision strike could have been launched from afar.

The route and radar evasion

To reach Doha from Israel’s Nevatim base, the strike aircraft would have travelled around 2,250km. The stealth design of the F-35 means it is especially difficult to track on conventional radar.

US bases nearby

The strike took place barely 30km from Al Udeid Air Base, the forward headquarters of US Central Command and the largest American military installation in the Middle East. It is protected by US-supplied Patriot missile batteries.

But as Prof. Hashim explained to ABC, Patriots are designed to intercept ballistic or cruise missiles, not the kind of precision stand-off munitions carried by Israeli F-35s. By the time the weapons were airborne, he added, “it was too late” for any defensive response.

Independent — but not unnoticed

Israel’s government said the attack was a “wholly independent Israeli operation.” The White House insisted it was not given advance notice, though US officials later acknowledged they were informed while the attack was unfolding. Qatar flatly denied receiving any prior warning, calling suggestions otherwise “baseless.”

Analyst Aaron David Miller told ABC he doubted Washington was entirely in the dark, suggesting the Trump administration likely had “a pretty good sense” that the strike was imminent but allowed Israel “plausible deniability” by claiming the decision was made in Jerusalem.

A diplomatic shockwave

Professor Mehran Kamrava of Georgetown University in Doha told ABC Radio his students were in disbelief as news of the explosions spread: “There’s a sense of shock and anger among the population.”

Qatar has accused Israel of “reckless” behaviour and breaking international law. The strike has been widely condemned across the Middle East.