The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned Tuesday’s airstrike on Qatar's capital, Doha, which targeted Hamas’s leaders, but notably refrained from mentioning Israel in the statement, Reuters reports.
The joint statement, agreed upon by all 15 members of the Security Council including the US, highlighted the importance of de-escalation in the region. It expressed solidarity with Qatar, emphasizing the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
However, the statement did not directly reference Israel’s role in the attack, which allowed the US to back the statement as well.
The Security Council’s statement was drafted by Britain and France, who called for the release of hostages, including those murdered by Hamas, and underscored that ending the war and alleviating the suffering in Gaza should remain the top priority. The attack on Doha was particularly sensitive as Qatar has been involved in mediating ceasefire negotiations in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
The Security Council later on Thursday held an additional meeting to discuss Israel's actions in Qatar. That discussion was attended by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Al Thani on Tuesday sharply condemned what he termed the “treacherous Israeli attack” on the Qatari capital. He declared that Qatar “reserves the right” to respond to Israel, warning, “We will not be lenient on our sovereignty and will deal firmly with any security breach.”
While White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the US had informed Qatar before the attack, Al Thani stated that the United States had informed Qatar of the strike ten minutes after it occurred. He announced the formation of a legal team to pursue action in response to the incident.