UNITED NATIONS -AFP:The United Nations Security Council on Thursday (Sep 11) condemned strikes on Qatar earlier this week and called for de-escalation, without naming Israel, which carried out the attack.
The Security Council “underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar”, said the statement, which required the agreement of all 15 council members, including Israel’s ally the United States.
Council members also “underlined their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar”.
On Tuesday, Israel launched an unprecedented strike on Qatar’s capital Doha targeting Hamas leaders.
The group said its top officials survived, while five of its members were left dead, and a Qatari security force member was also killed.
The Security Council statement called Doha “the territory of a key mediator” for peace talks between Israel and Hamas, alongside Egypt and the US.
“Council members underscored that releasing the hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the war and suffering in Gaza must remain our top priority,” the statement continued.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who travelled to New York for the emergency meeting, welcomed the council’s statement of support and reiterated his country’s commitment to acting as a mediator in the conflict.
“We will continue our humanitarian and diplomatic role without any hesitation, in order to stop the bloodshed,” Al-Thani said, a day after suggesting a reassessment of his country’s mediation role.
“At the same time, we will not condone any attack on our sovereignty. We will reserve the right to respond through tools guaranteed by international law,” he added, calling Israel’s leaders “bloodthirsty extremists”.
Since the attack by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent retaliation, the Security Council has been largely paralysed on the issue due to repeated vetoes by the US and other member states.
But US President Donald Trump, despite his support of Israel, said he was “not thrilled” with the attack on Tuesday in Doha, which targeted a residential complex hosting Hamas officials in the core of the city.
