Israel has carried out an unprecedented strike in Qatar’s capital, Doha, targeting Hamas leaders, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed was a military operation on Tuesday. The attack, the first of its kind on Qatari soil, comes despite Qatar’s role as a key mediator in ceasefire negotiations and host of the U.S. Al Udeid airbase.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry denounced the strike as a “cowardly attack,” while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty.
Condemnation poured in from across the Arab and Muslim world, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Iran, all of which stressed solidarity with Qatar and warned of dangerous regional escalation. Western allies also voiced concern, with the UK, France, Germany, and Spain labeling the strike unacceptable breaches of international law.
The United States, while affirming its partnership with Qatar, criticized Israel for acting unilaterally in a move the White House said “does not advance Israel or America’s goals.”
