Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Arab and Muslim leaders at an emergency summit in Doha on Monday issued a joint statement demanding all nations take legal, diplomatic, and economic measures to hold Israel accountable for its recent deadly airstrike on Hamas officials in Qatar.&nbsp;The statement urged countries to review their ties with Israel, suspend its United Nations (U.N.) membership, and initiate legal proceedings to prevent further Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.&nbsp;Pakistan PM urges Arab-Islamic task forcePakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, attending the summit, condemned Israel&rsquo;s strike as a dangerous escalation and called for regional unity. &ldquo;Let history record this great moment, when we, the leaders of the Arab-Islamic world, have chosen unity, dignity, and courage over silence and inaction,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Sharif emphasized stopping Israel&rsquo;s expansionist policies and proposed forming an Arab-Islamic task force to implement effective countermeasures. He also highlighted the critical role of peace mediators in wartime, stressing that the attack on Qatar undermines ceasefire efforts in Gaza.&nbsp;Turkiye calls for sanctions, military coordinationTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan labeled Israel&rsquo;s war a global threat and urged a firm response including sanctions and military cooperation. &ldquo;Israel&#39;s war has become a threat, not only to Gaza but the whole world,&rdquo; he warned.&nbsp;Erdoğan condemned Israeli policies of occupation and genocide and revealed T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s halt of commercial ties with Israel, sacrificing $9.5 billion annually. He pledged to share T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s military capabilities with Muslim nations, signaling readiness for collective defense.&nbsp;Iran denounces Israeli violationsIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a forceful rebuke, accusing Israel of &ldquo;crossing all lines&rdquo; by violating Muslim countries&rsquo; sovereignty and dignity, including the Qatar strike.&nbsp;&ldquo;Any further crimes cannot be tolerated,&rdquo; Pezeshkian warned, calling for Israeli leaders to face justice for war crimes. He invoked Muslim unity, citing Prophet Muhammad&rsquo;s (PBUH) call for Muslims to stand &ldquo;as one, one body, one hand.&rdquo;&nbsp;Maldives voices regional solidarityMaldives President Mohamed Muizzu condemned the airstrike as an attack on the entire Muslim world. &ldquo;An attack on Qatar is an attack on us all,&rdquo; he declared.&nbsp;Muizzu criticized international double standards protecting Israel and called for its leaders to face justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity.&nbsp;Palestinian president urges firm global responsePalestinian President Mahmoud Rida Abbas decried Israel&rsquo;s far-right government as incapable of peace and security, calling for strong Arab-Muslim unity and urgent intervention by the U.S. and UN Security Council.&nbsp;He praised the Arab-Muslim states&rsquo; support for Palestine and mediation efforts by Egypt and Qatar to end the genocide, deliver humanitarian aid, and withdraw occupation forces.&nbsp;Qatar dubs Israel &lsquo;treacherous, cowardly&rsquo;Qatar&rsquo;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sharply criticized Israel&rsquo;s actions, accusing it of deliberately undermining ceasefire negotiations. &ldquo;There is no room to deal with such a party that&rsquo;s cowardly and treacherous,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The Emir&rsquo;s remarks highlight Qatar&rsquo;s frustration as a key mediator targeted in the attack and underscore the region&rsquo;s fragile peace efforts.&nbsp;U.S. assures support for Qatar amid tensionsWhile the summit condemned Israel&rsquo;s strike, the U.S. pledged support for Qatar&rsquo;s sovereignty. Secretary of State Marco Rubio planned to visit Doha, reaffirming Washington&rsquo;s commitment despite strained ties following the attack.&nbsp;The incident raises concerns over U.S. security guarantees in the Gulf, where major American military assets are located.&nbsp;The emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha marked a pivotal moment of regional unity demanding legal, diplomatic, and economic actions against Israel following the airstrike on Qatar. Strong speeches from leaders of Pakistan, T&uuml;rkiye, Iran, Maldives, Palestine, and Qatar reflected shared outrage and a call for justice, even as complex regional dynamics pose challenges to unified action.

Middle East

Pakistan PM urges halting Israel’s expansion, proposes Arab-Islamic task force, warns Qatar strike undermines Gaza ceasefire efforts

Arab, Muslim leaders demand review of ties with Israel after Qatar airstrike

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar&nbsp;arrived in Doha on Sunday to attend the Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers&rsquo; meeting, according to the ministry of foreign affairs. Soon after his arrival, he met his Egyptian counterpart, Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty, on the sidelines of the preparatory foreign ministers&rsquo; meeting for the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha. They condemned the illegal Israeli strikes on Qatar and other Muslim nations, terming them blatant violations of sovereignty and international law. Both reaffirmed their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and stressed the urgent need for unity across the Muslim Ummah. Dar to present Pakistan&rsquo;s stance &nbsp;The Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers&rsquo; meeting will begin shortly, where OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha will deliver an address.&nbsp;Ishaq Dar will present Pakistan&rsquo;s stance on Israel&rsquo;s attacks on Qatar during the meeting.&nbsp;The meeting will review the situation following the recent Israeli attacks on Qatar.&nbsp;A draft resolution against Israeli aggression will be prepared in the session. The agenda for the upcoming Arab-Islamic Summit will be finalized during the meeting. PM Shehbaz to attend session on Monday&nbsp;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the Arab-Islamic Summit scheduled for tomorrow (Monday, September 15).&nbsp;The meeting will finalize a strong response to the recent Israeli aggression, while the participating foreign ministers will also deliberate on a joint strategy to counter Israeli hostilities.&nbsp;Shehbaz and heads of countries from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member nations will attend the summit.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Summit has been convened in the wake of Israel&rsquo;s airstrikes on Doha and the escalating developments in Palestine,&rdquo; the foreign office said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Unlike previous emergency meetings from Muslim platforms that were often delayed, this one has been convened swiftly, reflecting the seriousness of the situation,&rdquo; Mansoor Jafer, Al-Arabiya Urdu chief, told Pakistan TV, terming Israel a &ldquo;bully state.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said Qatar&rsquo;s diplomatic support from Muslim countries and beyond highlights its legitimacy as a mediator and its growing weight in regional diplomacy.&nbsp;

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Doha on Sunday to attend the Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers’ meeting, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

FM Dar arrives in Doha to attend Arab-Islamic ministerial meeting

Maham Khan

ISLAMABAD: Israeli airstrikes and military operations escalated overnight across Gaza and the West Bank as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel, amid a U.N. vote supporting a two-state solution&mdash;aimed at pursuing peace in the long-standing conflict.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rubio reportedly has gone with a clear focus on securing the release of hostages and preventing Hamas from taking power in the region.&nbsp;&nbsp;UNGA resolution&nbsp;supports two-state solutionThe UN General Assembly passed a resolution Friday with overwhelming support for the two-state solution. The resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire, Hamas disarmament, and normalization of relations between Israel and Arab states.&nbsp;&nbsp;Israel and the U.S. voted against it, calling it &ldquo;one-sided.&rdquo;&nbsp;Against this backdrop, diplomatic efforts continue, with U.S. President Donald Trump holding talks with Qatar&rsquo;s prime minister following Israeli airstrikes on Hamas officials attending ceasefire negotiations in Doha.&nbsp;The flurry of activities comes as the&nbsp;relentless air raids and heavy ground operations continue&nbsp;in Gaza City, where&nbsp;Israeli forces have carried out over 500 strikes this week alone. The occupying troops claim they are targeting Hamas &lsquo;strongholds&rsquo;, including weapons caches, tunnels, and sniper positions.&nbsp;Much of Gaza has been destroyed, with Israeli forces fully blockading the area. Despite this, many Palestinian families have decided to stay, with one resident describing a grim scene to Reuters: relentless bombings trapping Gazans between violence and a lack of safe places.&nbsp;&nbsp;The humanitarian toll is mounting, with more than 64,000 people having&nbsp;perished in Gaza since Israel laid siege to the enclave. Hundreds have died of starvation and malnutrition this year alone.&nbsp;Medical infrastructure has collapsed due to ongoing shelling, while aid deliveries face challenges amid persistent restrictions. Israel has announced plans to increase humanitarian crossing capacity, but it is becoming harder to deliver essential food, water, and medicine.&nbsp;Increase in violence, expansion plansPalestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are seeing&nbsp;an increase in violence. Israeli forces killed two 14-year-old Palestinian boys during raids in Jenin, followed by the detention of hundreds of residents in sweeping operations, according to the AP.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also proposed plans to expand settlements in the controversial &quot;E1&quot; area near Jerusalem, a plan critics warn will divide the West Bank and impede the formation of a viable Palestinian state.&nbsp;The severity and scale of these actions have drawn widespread international condemnation, but efforts to curb the violence remain limited.&nbsp;As Israeli military operations continue and diplomatic efforts go on, it is&nbsp;the Palestinians on the ground who&nbsp;are paying a heavy price.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Israel ramped up attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with the US State Secretary in the country, as the UN endorses the two-state solution. Image courtesy: Reuters

Americas

Israel ramped up attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank, even as the US Secretary of State visited the country, with the UN endorsing a two-state solution.  

Israel ramps up attacks in Gaza and West Bank as US State Secretary visits

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, reiterated on Friday that the State of Qatar &ldquo;reserves its legitimate right to respond in accordance with international law.&rdquo; &nbsp; The prime minister made the remarks at the emergency UN Security Council session on developments in the Middle East, convened in response to the Israeli attack on Qatar, Qatar News Agency reported. He said that under the leadership of Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the State of Qatar will continue its humanitarian and diplomatic efforts wherever it can save lives. However, it will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty or security and retains the legitimate right to respond in line with international law.&nbsp; He emphasized that Qatar is a nation of peace, not war, and has chosen peace as its guiding principle despite provocations from those who seek conflict and destruction. He also expressed appreciation for the Council&rsquo;s adoption of a press statement and for the solidarity shown by member states in condemning the Israeli strike on Doha on September 9.&nbsp; Qatar&rsquo;s role in ending longest war in US historyHe noted that the United States never targeted Taliban negotiators, but instead worked with the State of Qatar, under President Donald Trump&rsquo;s administration, to help end in 2020 the longest war in US history. He stressed that this was the constructive approach that Israel&rsquo;s prime minister is now attempting to undermine with cheap and emotional pretexts. The prime minister said the current Israeli leadership is intoxicated by power and arrogance because it believes it can act with complete impunity. Committed to peaceful resolutionSheikh Mohammed Al-Thani reaffirmed Qatar&rsquo;s strong commitment to mediation and peaceful conflict resolution. He emphasized that Qatar&rsquo;s mediation efforts, in cooperation with Egypt and the United States, have already achieved tangible results, including the release of 148 Israeli and foreign hostages, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The prime minister concluded by reminding the Council that the attack on Qatar was also an assault on all diplomatic efforts aimed at peaceful solutions. He stressed that the only path to peace lies through negotiations, beginning with a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and prisoners, and the unconditional entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, along with the lifting of the blockade.&nbsp; UNSC voices solidarity with QatarIn a statement released after closed consultations, the 15-member Security Council voiced solidarity with Qatar, reaffirming support for the country&rsquo;s sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with the UN Charter.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Council recalled its support for the vital role that Qatar continues to play in mediation efforts in the region,&rdquo; the statement read, adding that the release of hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the suffering in Gaza, must remain its top priority. Pakistan condemns Israeli strike&nbsp;Pakistan strongly condemned Israel&rsquo;s strike on Qatar, labeling it unlawful and part of a broader pattern of aggression, and affirmed its full support for Qatar&rsquo;s right to self-defense under the UN Charter. Speaking at the UN Security Council, Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad denounced what he called Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;unlawful and unjustified aggression&rdquo; against Qatar, according to an official statement released by Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic mission at the UN.&nbsp;Condemnations pour in from across the globeChina condemned the Israeli strike in the strongest terms, calling it a blatant attack on a nation playing a central role in mediation. The United States offered condolences to the family of the Qatari security officer killed in the strike. It said the attack does not serve the goals of either the U.S. or Israel.&nbsp;Russia labeled the Israeli attack a &ldquo;blatant violation of sovereignty&rdquo; and warned of serious consequences.&nbsp;&nbsp;Countries across Europe also denounced the Israeli strikes calling them absolutely unacceptable and a flagrant violation of international law.

The Qatari prime minister made the remarks at the emergency UN Security Council session on developments in the Middle East, convened in response to the Israeli attack on Qatar.

Qatar says it ‘reserves right to respond’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Qatar on Thursday to show support after Israel&rsquo;s airstrike on Doha, which has drawn widespread condemnation across the Muslim world.&nbsp;According to the Foreign Office, the visit is a gesture of regional unity and support in the wake of a &ldquo;brazen violation of Qatar&rsquo;s sovereignty.&rdquo;&nbsp;The prime minister&nbsp;is scheduled to meet with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to convey Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;deepest sympathies and support&rdquo; following the attack, which targeted residential buildings reportedly housing Hamas political leaders.&nbsp;He is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.&nbsp;&ldquo;The visit underscores Pakistan&rsquo;s unwavering support for the security and sovereignty of Qatar, and its continued commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East,&rdquo; the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.<div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"> </div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">First Israeli strike on Qatari soil</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Tuesday&rsquo;s airstrike, the first known Israeli military operation on Qatari soil, struck residential areas in Doha&rsquo;s West Bay district. Although top Hamas leaders reportedly survived, five individuals were killed, including the son of senior Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Qatar&rsquo;s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, condemned the strike as a &ldquo;cowardly assault&rdquo; and a form of &ldquo;state terrorism.&rdquo; He warned of &ldquo;dangerous consequences&rdquo; and pledged to pursue legal action against Israel through international forums.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&ldquo;This was a gross violation of our sovereignty and an escalation that threatens the entire region,&rdquo; the Qatari premier said. &ldquo;We reserve the right to respond through all available means.&rdquo;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Pakistan&rsquo;s response and UNSC push</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Pakistan, alongside Algeria and Somalia, has formally requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the crisis.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Foreign Minister<a href="https://x.com/MIshaqDar50/status/1965772015945531816">&nbsp;Ishaq Dar said</a> the attack is a &quot;grave matter&quot; that threatens not just Qatar, but broader regional security.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">PM Shehbaz earlier condemned the airstrike as a &ldquo;dangerous provocation&rdquo; and a &ldquo;flagrant violation of sovereignty.&rdquo; In a call with the Emir of Qatar, he conveyed Pakistan&rsquo;s deepest sympathies to the Qatari leadership and the royal family.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">In a statement issued by the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, Shehbaz called the bombing &ldquo;a dastardly act that reflects the mindset of Israeli leadership, willing to go to any length in the blind pursuit of nefarious goals.&rdquo;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Widespread Arab and Muslim condemnation</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">The Israeli strike on Qatar has united much of the Arab and Muslim world in condemnation. Several governments denounced the attack as a violation of international law and an affront to Qatari sovereignty:</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Saudi Arabia condemned the strike as &ldquo;brutal aggression&rdquo; and warned of &ldquo;severe regional consequences.&rdquo;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">The United Arab Emirates described it as a &ldquo;treacherous act&rdquo; and reaffirmed Gulf unity, saying &quot;Gulf security is indivisible.&quot;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Jordan called the attack a &ldquo;blatant breach of international law&rdquo; and an &ldquo;unacceptable provocation.&rdquo;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Kuwait denounced it as &ldquo;violent aggression&rdquo; and pledged full support to Qatar.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Iran warned that such acts could destabilize the entire Persian Gulf, labeling it a &ldquo;gross violation of international norms.&rdquo;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Iraq termed the attack &ldquo;cowardly,&rdquo; calling for regional unity in support of Qatar.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Turkey accused Israel of &ldquo;state-sponsored terrorism&rdquo; and of sabotaging peace talks.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Egypt said the strike undermines regional peace efforts and is a dangerous escalation.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Houthis in Yemen warned that similar strikes could spread across the region if not countered.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Additionally, Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, Sudan, Oman, Mauritania, Algeria, and Libya issued a joint statement condemning the attack as a &ldquo;dangerous violation&rdquo; and pledging solidarity with Qatar.</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Palestinian response</div><div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">Hamas and the Palestinian Authority both condemned the airstrike, calling it a &ldquo;criminal act&rdquo; aimed at derailing ceasefire efforts. Hamas stated that targeting its political negotiators was a direct violation of diplomatic norms and an intentional move to sabotage ongoing mediation.</div>

PM Shehbaz Sharif, Qatar, Israeli strikes in Doha

Security

The visit comes as the Muslim world condemns the attack as a violation of Qatar's sovereignty and a threat to regional peace.

PM Shehbaz visits Qatar amid regional outrage over Israeli airstrike on Doha

Reuters

DOHA: Qatar&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed Al Ansari on Tuesday said the U.S. warning of Israeli bombardment in Doha came &ldquo;during the sound of explosions.&rdquo; &ldquo;The statements being circulated about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are baseless,&rdquo; Ansari said in a <a href="https://x.com/majedalansari/status/1965484361727574198" style="font-size: 14px;">post on X</a>. The statement comes a day after Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Qatar, escalating its military action in the Middle East with what the United States described as a unilateral attack that does not advance American and Israeli interests. Qatar &lsquo;reserves the right to retaliate&rsquo;Meanwhile, Qatar&#39;s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told has warned that his country reserves the right to retaliate to Israel&#39;s &ldquo;blatant attack&rdquo; in Doha, calling it a &quot;pivotal moment&quot; for Middle East and seeking &quot;response from the entire region.&quot;&nbsp;&ldquo;Qatar... reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack,&rdquo; Al-Thani told a press conference late on Tuesday. He said Israel used weapons that were not detected by Qatar&#39;s air defense radar.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have reached a decisive moment. There should be retaliation from the whole region to such barbaric actions,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Al Thani condemned Israeli aggression, calling it an act of &quot;state terrorism.&quot;&nbsp;Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s earlier claims that he would reshape the region, the Qatari prime minister asked pointedly, &ldquo;Does he mean Gulf region also?&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Israel is working to sabotage every chance for peace,&rdquo; he said. Trump &#39;very unhappy&#39; about Israeli strikes on DohaReacting to the development, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115176193823019593" style="font-size: 14px;">Truth Social</a>, he was &quot;very unhappy about every aspect&quot; of the Israeli strike and would be giving a full statement on the issue on Wednesday. &quot;I&#39;m not thrilled about it,&quot; Trump said as he arrived at a Washington restaurant. &quot;It&#39;s not a good situation but I will say this: We want the hostages back, but we&#39;re not thrilled about the way it went down today.&quot; While Israel defended the attacks as being justified, Qatar said Israel was treacherous and engaged in &quot;state terrorism.&quot; Threat to peace talksQatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the airstrikes threatened to derail the peace talks Qatar has been mediating between Hamas and Israel. US President Donald Trump said he considered hitting Hamas a worthy goal, but he felt badly that the attack took place in the Gulf Arab state, which is a major non-NATO ally of Washington and where the Palestinian Islamist group has long had its political base. The attack drew condemnation from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union, and risks derailing Gaza ceasefire talks and Trump&#39;s push to achieve a negotiated end to the nearly two-year-old conflict. Qatar is a security partner of the U.S. and host to al-Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military facility in the Middle East. It has acted as a mediator alongside Egypt in talks between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza, which appears to be increasingly elusive. Hamas said five of its members had been killed in the attack, including the son of Hamas&#39;s exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya. It said Israel had failed in what Hamas called an attempt to assassinate the group&#39;s ceasefire negotiation team. Qatar &#39;bravely taking risks&#39;The Trump administration received warning of the attack from the U.S. military just before it took place, Trump said in a statement on social media. He did not say if it was Israel that notified the US military. &quot;Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America&#39;s goals,&quot; Trump wrote.&quot;However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.&quot; Hamas political bureau member Suhail al-Hindi told Al Jazeera TV the group&#39;s top leadership had survived the Israeli attack. The airstrike followed Israel warning Palestinians to leave Gaza City, an area once home to about a million people, as it tries to destroy what is left of Hamas, which has been decimated by Israel&#39;s military since October 2023. Trump said he directed his envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar the attack was coming but Qatar contradicted those comments, saying that reports that it got a heads-up before the attack were false and the phone call from a U.S. official came when blasts were already being heard in the Qatari capital, Doha. &quot;Qatar reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack and will take all necessary measures to respond,&quot; al-Thani told reporters. Israel killed one member of Qatar&#39;s internal security forces in its attack and injured others, Qatar said. Trump calls Emir of QatarTrump assured the emir of Qatar in a phone call after the attack that &quot;such a thing will not happen again on their soil.&quot; The U.S. president also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli officials told Reuters the strike was aimed at top Hamas leaders, including Hayya. Israel is still gathering information on the strike and has yet to determine whether any Hamas officials or leaders were killed, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters. Two U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. military had been notified by Israel shortly before the strike but there was no coordination with or approval from Washington. Trump made a high-profile visit to Qatar in May and stayed at a hotel about 2 km from Tuesday&#39;s attack site. Attack followed Jerusalem killingsThe airstrike took place shortly after Hamas&#39; armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a shooting on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Netanyahu said the attack was &quot;entirely justified&quot; and was ordered after the Jerusalem attack and the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Gaza. &quot;The days are over when terror leaders can enjoy immunity of any kind,&quot; Netanyahu said in a televised address. &quot;I won&#39;t allow that kind of immunity to exist.&quot; Doha attack draws global condemnationThe Israeli operation drew strong negative reactions around the world. The European Union called it a breach of international law and the United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, called it &quot;blatant and cowardly&quot;. Pope Leo expressed unusually forceful concern about the consequences of Israel&#39;s strike in Qatar. &quot;The entire situation is very serious,&quot; he said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and said Qatar had been playing a very positive role in seeking a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Israel has killed several top Hamas leaders since the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has also bombed Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Yemen in the course of the Gaza conflict. Gaza City braces for new onslaughtOn Tuesday, Palestinians living in the ruins of Gaza City were showered with Israeli leaflets telling them to flee ahead of Israel&#39;s effort to obliterate the area and wipe out Hamas, causing panic and confusion. Israel wants to demilitarize the entire Gaza Strip, home to 2.2 million Palestinians before the war. Many countries around the world have warned Israel&#39;s plan would spell catastrophe for Palestinians. Israel military warns Netanyahu of expanding warThe plan has also provoked concern inside Israel, where public support for the war has wavered. Israel&#39;s military leadership has warned Netanyahu against expanding the war, according to Israeli officials. Families of Israeli hostages fear the attack could endanger the captives. Netanyahu says he is acting out of Israel&#39;s interest by moving to finish off Hamas in order to safeguard his country against any more attacks. Israel has been accused of genocide, including this month by the world&#39;s biggest group of genocide scholars, over its nearly two-year campaign in the Palestinian enclave that has killed more than 64,000 people, according to local authorities. With input from Reuters.

Qatari prime minister says his country reserves the right to retaliate to Israel's “blatant attack” in Doha.

Articles tagged with "Israeli strikes on Doha"

Arab, Muslim leaders demand review of ties with Israel after Qatar airstrike

FM Dar arrives in Doha to attend Arab-Islamic ministerial meeting

Israel ramps up attacks in Gaza and West Bank as US State Secretary visits

Qatar says it ‘reserves right to respond’

PM Shehbaz visits Qatar amid regional outrage over Israeli airstrike on Doha

Qatar says US claims of warnings prior to Doha attack are ‘baseless’