The Israeli military said it targeted senior Hamas leaders on Tuesday, after AFP journalists in Doha reported explosions and smoke rising above the Qatari capital, where the Palestinian group’s political bureau is based.

“The IDF (Israeli military) and ISA (security agency) conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation,” the military said, without specifying where the strike took place.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari slammed the attack, saying: “The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha. This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar.”

He said the security forces, civil defence and relevant authorities immediately began addressing the incident and taking necessary measures to contain its repercussions and ensure the safety of the residents and surrounding areas.

“While the State of Qatar strongly condemns this assault, it confirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty. Investigations are underway at the highest level, and further details will be announced as soon as they are available,” the spokesperson said.

A senior Hamas source told Al Jazeera that leaders of the group were targeted while discussing United States President Donald Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel media, citing a senior Israeli official, said the attack was aimed at top Hamas leaders, including Khalil al-Hayya, its Gaza chief.

Smoke was seen rising over the Katara District in the capital, an eyewitness said.

Trump said on Sunday he was issuing a “last warning” to Hamas, saying the Palestinian group must accept a deal to release Israeli prisoners.

“The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning,” he had said on social media.

“We had some very good discussions. Good things could happen,” he told reporters. “I think we’re going to have a deal on Gaza very soon.”

In response to Trump’s comments, Hamas had said it was ready to “immediately sit at the negotiating table” following “some ideas received from the American side aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement”.

In exchange for a truce, Hamas said it wanted “a clear declaration of the end of the war, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the formation of a committee of independent Palestinians to manage the Gaza Strip, which would begin its duties immediately”.

Hamas had agreed last month to a ceasefire proposal that involved a 60-day truce and staggered prisoner releases.

Israel, however, has demanded that Hamas release all the prisoners at once, disarm itself and relinquish control of Gaza, among other conditions.

• Heads discovered on public roads and three nearby suburbs.
• Interior minister calls act “absolutely unacceptable”.
• Says Muslims must be able to practice their faith in peace. 

French police launched an investigation on Tuesday after nine pig heads were found outside several mosques in the Paris region, the city’s police chief said, adding further finds were possible.

“Every effort is being made to find the perpetrators of these despicable acts,” Laurent Nunez wrote on X.

The heads were discovered on public roads in Paris and three nearby suburbs, according to local authorities.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned the acts, calling them “outrageous” and “absolutely unacceptable”.

“I want our Muslim compatriots to be able to practice their faith in peace,” he said.

Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, denounced the “Islamophobic acts” as “a new and sad stage in the rise of anti-Muslim hatred”, calling for “awareness and national solidarity against this dangerous trajectory”.

France is home to the largest Muslim community in the European Union, as well as the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States.

Several EU nations have reported a spike in anti-Muslim hatred and antisemitism since the Gaza war started in October 2023, according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, following one of the deadliest crackdowns on protesters in years that left at least 19 people dead.

“I have resigned from the post of prime minister with effect from today in order to take further steps towards a political solution and resolution of the problems,” Oli stated in a letter to the president.

Young protesters in Nepal defied a curfew earlier in the day to express their anger at the government.

The demonstrations, which began on Monday demanding the lifting of a social media ban and action against corruption, continued despite the apps being restored online.

Kathmandu police spokesman Shekhar Khanal said several groups ignored the curfew on Tuesday, with protesters taking to the streets in multiple areas, resulting in “cases of fire and attacks.”

Some demonstrators targeted politicians’ properties and government buildings, according to AFP photographers and local media reports.

The 73-year-old Prime Minister Oli ordered a probe into the violence and said he will lead all-party talks in a bid to achieve a “meaningful conclusion” to the unrest.

The interior minister resigned on Monday, according to a government statement, while two other ministers stepped down on Tuesday, Nepali media reported.

“The social media platforms have been reopened, which was among Gen Z’s demands,” Minister for Communication Prithvi Subba Gurung told AFP, referring to young people largely in their 20s.

“We are open to dialogue with the protesters.”

The social media ban fed into existing anger at the government in a country with a youth bulge.

People aged 15-40 make up nearly 43 percent of the population, according to government statistics while unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita at just $1,447, according to the World Bank.

Slogans demanding accountability from the authorities have been a feature at the protests.

“Nearly 20 people were murdered by the state that shows the scale of police brutality,” 23-year-old student Yujan Rajbhandari said Tuesday, who took in the demonstrations a day earlier.

“The government … have to take responsibility for the lives that were lost,” Rajbhandari.

Several social media sites including Facebook, YouTube and X were blocked on Friday in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people, after the government cut access to 26 unregistered platforms.

Amnesty International said live ammunition had been used against protesters on Monday, and the United Nations demanded a swift and transparent probe.

– ‘Silencing an entire generation’ –
Police in Kathmandu on Monday clashed with the crowds when protesters pushed through barbed wire and tried to storm into a restricted area near parliament.

Seventeen people were killed in Kathmandu, police said, and two more in the eastern district of Sunsari, according to local media.

Police said about 400 people were injured, including more than 100 police.

Since Friday, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which was not blocked.

Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news and business.

Others rely on the apps for messaging.

“This isn’t just about social media it’s about trust, corruption, and a generation that refuses to stay silent,” the Kathmandu Post newspaper wrote.

“Gen Z grew up with smartphones, global trends, and promises of a federal, prosperous Nepal,” it added.

“For them, digital freedom is personal freedom. Cutting off access feels like silencing an entire generation.”

Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past, including to Telegram in July, citing a rise in online fraud.

It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.