Australians in the Qatari capital of Doha have been urged stay alert and travellers in the region have been warned circumstances could change abruptly after Israel carried out a strike on the city overnight.

The Israeli government claimed sole responsibility for a strike that they alleged targeted high-level Hamas leadership in Qatar.

Hamas claimed no senior figures were killed, but some lower-ranking members were.

The Australian government's Smartraveller website has updated its warnings for the country and the region.

"Stay alert, take official warnings seriously, monitor local media and follow the advice of local authorities," the new advice read.

"The security situation in the Middle East is unpredictable.

"If the regional security situation deteriorates again, thi

See Full Page