Crude oil prices rose slightly in early Wednesday trading after reports of an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar.

Brent crude was at $67.09 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate traded at $63.32, each up less than 1 per cent from Tuesday’s close.

Oil prices were on track for a fourth consecutive session of gains, supported by OPEC+’s smaller-than-expected production hike announced over the weekend.

Tensions rose late Tuesday after Israel confirmed it had struck Hamas leadership in Doha, prompting criticism from both Qatari and United States officials, who warned the move could jeopardize ongoing peace negotiations.

Prices initially climbed as much as 2 per cent on the news but later eased after Washington assured that such an attack would not be repeated.

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was “very unhappy” about the strike and promised to issue a full statement on Wednesday.

Qatar, a key U.S. security partner and host of the al-Udeid Air Base—the largest American military facility in the Middle East, has played a central role alongside Egypt in mediating talks between Israel and Hamas.

Oil prices also found support from the prospect of tougher U.S. sanctions on Russia, after Reuters reported that President Trump urged the European Union to sharply raise tariffs on India and China over their continued purchases of Russian energy.

Trump has already imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India and was reportedly pushing for 100% tariffs on both New Delhi and Beijing.

Analysts said such measures could squeeze Russia’s revenue and increase pressure on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine.

Tighter restrictions on Russian crude could further constrain global supply if India and China yield to Western pressure, though both nations have so far shown little willingness to scale back their imports.