Countries around the world strongly condemned Israel after it launched an airstrike on Hamas leaders in Doha, the Qatari capital, in what many called a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Qatar.
Explosions shook Doha, with plumes of smoke rising into the sky as the strike hit while Hamas negotiators were reportedly discussing U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent proposal for a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap. Israel later said it had conducted a “precise strike” targeting Hamas’ senior leadership, though it did not specify the location. The Israeli prime minister’s office added the operation was “wholly independent,” declaring: “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
Britain, France and Germany condemned Israel’s airstrikes, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling them “unacceptable regardless of motive.”
Macron wrote on X that “the war must not be allowed to spread in the region.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned the attack risked “further escalation” in the Middle East.
“I condemn Israel’s strikes on Doha... The priority must be an immediate cease-fire, the release of hostages, and a huge surge in aid into Gaza,” Starmer posted on X.
He told Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a call that the Israeli attack “represents a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty,” according to a Downing Street spokesman.
“The prime minister underscored his gratitude at the indispensable role Qatar has played in trying to reach a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas,” the spokesman said. “He welcomed the emir’s determination to continue with peace talks and added that the UK stands ready to do everything possible to support his efforts.”
In Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also called the strikes “unacceptable,” his spokesman Stefan Kornelius said.
Merz “praised Qatar’s mediation efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of the hostages,” Kornelius said. “He said that today’s Israeli attack, which violated Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, was unacceptable. The war must not be allowed to spread to the entire region.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also condemned the attack, saying it “jeopardises all of our efforts to secure the release of the hostages.”
“I urgently call for everything to be done now to finally bring about a cease-fire and allow the hostages to return to their families,” he said in a statement.
The strikes were the first of their kind in the Qatari capital.
In Brussels, European Commission spokesman Anouar El Anouni said: “Today’s airstrike by Israel against Hamas leaders in Doha breaches international law and Qatar’s territorial integrity, and risks a further escalation of violence in the region.”
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X that Italy “supports all efforts to end the war in Gaza.”
“Italy remains opposed to any form of escalation that could further aggravate the crisis in the Middle East,” she said.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry blasted the attack as “a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, and a flagrant assault on the sovereignty and security of sisterly Qatar.” The ministry warned the strike would push the region “toward further violence and conflict and threaten regional and international security and stability.”
The United Arab Emirates also voiced outrage, with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed expressing his country’s “full solidarity with precious Qatar” in a message on the U.S. social media company X.
Saudi Arabia condemned and denounced “in the strongest terms the brutal Israeli aggression and the flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Riyadh reaffirmed full solidarity with Doha and offered to support any measures Qatar may take in response. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a phone call with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, described the attack as a “criminal act” and “a flagrant violation of international laws and norms,” according to state news agency SPA.
Qatar’s own Foreign Ministry said the strike represented “a blatant violation of international law,” underscoring that Doha, along with Egypt and the U.S., has been mediating indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in search of a truce and prisoner swap deal.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel’s actions, calling them a “flagrant violation” of Doha’s sovereignty. “We are just learning about the Israeli attacks in Qatar, a country that has been playing a very positive role to achieve a cease-fire and release of all hostages. I condemn this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,” Guterres told reporters.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu also denounced the attack, calling it a “cowardly action” and “a serious violation of international law” in a post on X. He urged the international community to take “urgent” and “unified” action to hold Tel Aviv accountable for its “numerous and continued violations of international norms and principles.”
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev condemned the strike as “unacceptable,” saying in a statement that “whatever the goals may be, these actions clearly violate the sovereign rights of the Qatari state and are contrary to the principles of international law.”
Iran also slammed the attack, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei telling state TV the strike was “an extremely dangerous and criminal action” and “a gross violation of all international rules and regulations, a violation of Qatar’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced Israeli airstrikes on the Qatari capital Doha, warning that the provocation could imperil regional peace and stability.
"On behalf of the people and the government of Pakistan as well as on my own behalf, I strongly condemn the unlawful and heinous bombing in Doha by Israeli forces, targeting a residential area, and endangering the lives of innocent civilians," Sharif said in a post on X.
"This act of aggression by Israel is totally unjustified, a brazen violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, and constitutes a most dangerous provocation that could imperil regional peace and stability," he added.
Pakistan, he further said, stands firmly with Qatar, as well as with the people of Palestine against Israel's aggression.
Afghanistan's interim government "vehemently" denounced the "invasion of Qatar" and the deliberate targeting of Hamas' political office, deeming it a heinous act that runs counter to all principles of humanity.
"The Zionist regime persists in its audacious violations of humanitarian and political standards, committing atrocities with impunity," a statement from the Foreign Ministry said.
It is "disheartening" that influential nations and international bodies remain silent in the face of such transgressions, it added.
Kabul called for an "immediate" halt to Israeli aggression and ongoing cruelties, urging the preservation of nations' territorial integrity and an end to the continuous plight, injustices, and oppression endured by the oppressed Muslims in Palestine.
Since Oct. 2023, Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, further fueling accusations of war crimes, expansionism, and blatant disregard for international law.
