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Israeli Strikes in Qatar Risk 'New and Perilous Chapter' in Middle East Conflict, Under-Secretary-General Tells Security Council

Meetings Coverage
Security Council

9992nd Meeting (PM)

SC/16164
11 September 2025

Israel's attack on Doha on 9 September potentially opens "a new and perilous chapter" in an already devastating conflict, the United Nations top political affairs official warned today at a Security Council meeting, where delegates also heard from the Prime Minister of Qatar and other senior Government representatives from the region.

Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, described the air strikes as an "alarming escalation, especially since it targeted individuals who were reportedly gathered to discuss the latest United States proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza".

Hamas has stated, she reported, that the son of its chief negotiator, as well as his office manager and three other people affiliated with the group, were killed, while its senior leadership survived the attack. According to Doha, one Qatari security officer was killed, and several other security personnel were injured. Israel claimed responsibility for the attack, she said, citing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that the strike was "a wholly independent Israeli operation" after the fatal attack in Jerusalem on 8 September, for which Hamas claimed responsibility.

Qatar, with Egypt and the United States, has been working intensively to broker a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, she said, praising that country's commitment to diplomacy — a point several speakers echoed in the ensuing debate. "Regrettably, Israel's actions came at the height of ongoing consultations with the parties," she said, adding that preserving the integrity of negotiation and mediation channels is crucial for fostering the trust that parties need to engage in meaningful dialogue.

However, the representative of Israel said that its strike in Doha targeted Hamas leaders who are "not legitimate politicians, diplomats or representatives". Just days ago, Hamas terrorists opened fire at a bus stop in Jerusalem, murdering six innocent people, he said. Israel has agreed to United States President Donald J. Trump's ceasefire proposal, but Hamas keeps the world waiting. It is not Hamas leaders who are living in the Ritz Carlton in Doha who are suffering from the delay, but hostages and the people in Gaza who are used as human shields, he said.

If Qatar does not condemn and expel Hamas and bring it to justice, Israel will, he pledged. Council resolution 1373 (2001), adopted after the 11 September 2001 attacks, stipulates that no State may harbour terrorists, fund them and give them safe haven. When Osama bin Laden was eliminated in Pakistan, the question was not why a terrorist was targeted on foreign soil; it was why a terrorist was sheltered. France struck terrorists in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania while the United Kingdom carried out air strikes in Iraq and Syria. If these were justified, then why is Israel singled out now, he asked.

Condemnation for Targeting Peace Mediators

Countering that, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar, asked: "Have you heard of any State that is attacking the mediator this way?" He also criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu's "shameful justification", for the attack. Noting that the presence of the Taliban's political bureau in Doha was key to enabling the talks between Washington, D.C., and the Taliban, which eventually ended the war in Afghanistan, he said: "The United States has never targeted the negotiators."

Israel struck a residential compound in Doha that was allocated for negotiating teams, which housed Hamas representatives and their families. The attack terrorized those who lived in the residential area, he said, calling it "a violation of the UN Member State's sovereignty". "Israel — led by bloodthirsty extremists — has gone beyond any borders, any limitation when it comes to behaviour among States and individuals," he stressed. That country is destabilizing the region and undermining any prospect for peace. "We call for peace, not war, and we will not be deterred by those who call for war and destruction," he concluded.

Several Council speakers offered him their condolences, while voicing concern about the dangers of the impunity afforded to Israel and the deterioration in regional security. "Israel behaves as if law does not exist, as if borders are illusions and the UN Charter is an ephemeral text," said Algeria's delegate. In the span of days, it has struck Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and now the peace broker, Qatar. Condemning "the conduct of an extremist Government", he urged the Council to use all its tools — including sanctions — "before it is too late".

Israel Deliberately Sabotaging Negotiations

Somalia's delegate added that "Israel's systematic expansion of the conflict zone", from Gaza to Qatar, is a deliberate strategy. This military strike was aimed at undermining ongoing mediation efforts in the conflict in Gaza, he added.

Security Council resolutions rejected, international mechanisms flouted, civilians starved and killed, humanitarian and medical workers attacked, and now, negotiators attacked on a foreign soil — "is this how peace is pursued? Is this a way to bring hostages home?", asked Slovenia's delegate. "Peace cannot be built on the rubble of destroyed buildings and cities, but on the firm foundation of dialogue and negotiation," emphasized Denmark's delegate, while Guyana's delegate appealed to Israel to cease its warmongering in the already-volatile Middle East.

The representative of China recalled that, on 7 September, the United States put forward a new ceasefire proposal and claimed that Israel had agreed to it. However, just two days later, a Hamas delegation, which was discussing the proposal, was attacked by Israel. "Such an act of bad faith, irresponsibility and a deliberate sabotage of negotiations is indeed despicable," he said.

"It is evident that Israel, the occupying Power, is bent on doing everything to undermine and blow up every possibility of peace," Pakistan's delegate said, raising the question of whether the return of hostages was indeed a priority. The representative of the Russian Federation added that the air strike is the inevitable result of the complete impunity afforded to Israel, as it tests the limits of what is permissible, shielded by diplomatic cover from Washington, D.C.

Hamas Cannot Have Political Role in Future Governance of Gaza

For her part, the representative of the United States underscored that unilateral bombing inside Qatar does not advance Israel's or Washington, D.C.'s, goals. However, it is inappropriate to use this to question Israel's commitment to bringing its hostages home. Eliminating Hamas is "a worthy goal", she said, adding that terrorists must have "no future in Gaza". Accordingly, she urged Hamas to immediately release the remaining hostages, including those brutally murdered, and reiterated her country's commitment to reaching a ceasefire, providing humanitarian assistance and ending the conflict.

While Hamas committed atrocious terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, "Tuesday's Doha attacks directly targeting its negotiation team does not help advance the talks, which stand at an infliction point", the representative of the Republic of Korea said. Also reiterating condemnation of the 7 October 2023 atrocities, the representative of the United Kingdom said that Hamas is a terrorist organization and can play no part in the future governance of Gaza. She also added: "We wholly condemn the strikes on Qatar which will do nothing to deliver peace in the Middle East, or to help safeguard Israel's long-term security."

Along similar lines, Greece's delegate added that Hamas, as a terrorist organization, cannot and should not have any political role in the future governance of Gaza. The diplomatic channel, spearheaded by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, has provided thus far the only credible pathway for ending the suffering. It was through this channel that some hostages could rejoin their loved ones in the beginning of 2025, she pointed out, adding: "Dialogue, no matter how fragile, must therefore be protected."

Also condemning the attack on a mediating State, Panama's delegate expressed alarm about the unstoppable tide of violence in the Middle East — the attacks perpetrated against civilians in Jerusalem on 8 September, for which Hamas claimed responsibility, demonstrate the terror that this group has sown for decades. Israel's subsequent action in Doha on 9 September stands as a flagrant violation of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of a UN Member State. The representative of Sierra Leone pointed out that "international law does not recognize revenge" and recognizes only lawful self-defence or collective action authorized by the Council.

Political Solution Based on Two-State Framework Is Essential

France's delegate stressed that a political solution based on the two-State framework is essential — this hinges on the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian State with a reformed governance. He drew attention to the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, which his country co-chaired with Saudi Arabia.

"Just hours before this meeting", the Prime Minister of Israel boasted about expanding settlements and preventing the establishment of a Palestinian State, said Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan. Killing has become promotional material for the occupation's soldiers, as Israel continues to commit genocide in Gaza and protects its terrorist settlers in the West Bank. Calling on the Council to "stop it, stop the injustice", he affirmed that the stability of Qatar is the stability of the region.

Israel's Strikes Blatant Violation of International Law, UN Charter

Speakers from Qatar's neighbourhood expressed solidarity with that country and urged the Council to hold Israel accountable. The representative of Iraq noted that the attack took place in a residential area that also contains schools. "This attack represents State terrorism," he stressed, condemning Israel's ongoing attempts to destabilize security and stability in the region. "We support the State of Qatar within the framework of its right and duty to act decisively against any reckless violation or aggression that undermines its security," he added.

Israel's reckless actions, said the representative of the United Arab Emirates, only serve to fuel more violence, extremism and chaos — "precisely when the region desperately needs restraint and de-escalation". Kuwait's delegate, speaking on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, added that the national security of its member States "is a red line" for the Council. Similar acts will be met with "collective actions, tougher in nature, and legal and political measures as deterrents," he asserted.

The representative of Türkiye, speaking for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), also condemned the strike as a blatant violation of the norms of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, he said. Egypt's delegate called upon the Council to immediately adopt a resolution under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations that stops the Israeli aggression against Gaza and supports the efforts of the mediators.

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