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New Delhi: Israel on Tuesday struck Qatar’s capital Doha using missiles it said were aimed at senior Hamas operatives. Qatar subsequently condemned the attack as a violation of international law. Many other countries and organisations also criticised the Israeli attack.
Israel’s military later confirmed that it had fired missiles into Doha, targeting a compound believed to be hosting Hamas political leaders. The attack took place in the West Bay Lagoon area in Doha, an area with many residential complexes, foreign embassies and schools.
The Israeli attack is extremely significant, it is the first time that Israel has attacked Qatar directly. It has been in Doha, where Israel itself has been engaged in ceasefire negotiations with Hamas multiple times in the last two years.
The attack has not been taken well by Qatar. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Minister, released a statement condemning the attack. “This criminal attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents of Qatar,” the statement read. “While strongly condemning this attack, the State of Qatar affirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and its continued tampering with regional security, as well as any action targeting its security and sovereignty. Investigations are underway at the highest level, and further details will be announced as soon as they become available.”
Many in the Middle East too have come out in support of Qatar. Saudi Arabia rejected and condemned Israeli attacks in the region, including the “brutal aggression” against Qatar, the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said. He further added, ““We will stand with Qatar without limit in all its actions, and we will harness all our capabilities to achieve this.”
Not just the Gulf countries, but the West, traditional supporters of Israel also criticised its attack on Qatar. Germany deemed the attack “unacceptable” and a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes a “flagrant violation” of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar. India too warned of “escalation” and said it was “deeply concerned” by the Israeli attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron also took to X and termed the attack on Qatar as “unacceptable. “War must under no circumstances spread in the region,” he said. The United Kingdom similarly joined in on the chorus of criticism, saying it was against the “further escalation of violence” in the region and. It also added that it had no prior knowledge of the attack.
Perhaps the biggest effect of the attack would be on the US. Be its relationship with Qatar or its ongoing support of Israel. United States President Donald Trump, typically one of Israel’s most vocal supporters, said he was “very unhappy about every aspect” of the strike.
The attack is troubling for Trump, as it was only recently that he met with the leader of Qatar, was all praise of the kingdom and signed a major defense agreement with the country. Qatar has been a key US ally in the contentious region of the Middle East, a place which hosts its biggest military base in the region.
Also, it was only in May of this year, that US President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Qatar to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion. President Trump also announced economic deals totaling more than $243.5 billion between the United States and Qatar. This included an historic sale of Boeing aircraft and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways.
With Israel’s sudden attack on Qatar, these deals may also come into a more problematic ground before final negotiations. The US reportedly was not aware of the Israeli attack, a move that is not likely to go well with Donald Trump. While it may not result in any immediate souring of relations with Qatar, the power dynamic is shaky, and the US would be acting with caution as it would not be looking to see strains in its relations with Qatar either, withstanding its Israeli prerogative.
