UN, world leaders slam Israel for bombing Qatar

Global outrage erupted yesterday after Israel launched airstrikes on Doha, the capital of Qatar, in an operation said to have targeted senior Hamas leaders.

The strikes, the first by Israel on Qatari soil, hit residential areas where members of Hamas’ political bureau reside.

Qatar, which has served as a key mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas and also hosts the United States’ largest military base in the region, Al Udeid Air Base, confirmed the attacks. Reports indicated that the son of a Hamas leader was killed, while senior officials escaped unharmed.

The Israeli Defence Forces and Shin Bet intelligence service claimed responsibility, stating that the targeted figures were responsible for the October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he personally ordered the strikes in response to a Hamas-claimed shooting in Jerusalem earlier in the week that left six people dead. “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility,” Netanyahu declared.

The action immediately drew global condemnation. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described it as a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty and called for renewed efforts toward a permanent ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron labelled the strikes “unacceptable,” while the office of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned against further escalation and clarified that Britain had no prior knowledge of the operation.

Qatar’s government denounced the attack as a “blatant violation of international laws and norms,” warning that it would not tolerate threats to its sovereignty.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, and the Maldives also strongly condemned the strikes, with several Arab states warning of grave consequences for regional security. Pope Leo, speaking from Castel Gandolfo, described the situation as “very serious” and urged restraint.

In Nigeria, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, said the assault had widened the frontiers of the crisis, while his colleague, Dr. Olalekan Babatunde, argued that it undermined Qatar’s mediation efforts and would further destabilise the Middle East. Ambassador Sulaiman Dahiru described the attack as “reckless and condemnable,” warning that it risked isolating Israel from its few Arab partners.

The latest escalation comes amid intensified hostilities across the Middle East. Since Hamas’ surprise assault in October 2023, more than 66,700 people have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank, alongside over 1,000 deaths in Israel. Hundreds of journalists and aid workers have also lost their lives.

Observers caution that the strikes in Doha may expand the conflict into new and dangerous territory, heightening fears of a broader regional war.