Israeli attacks target not only Qatar but any nation working to achieve peace, Qatar's prime minister told the UN Security Council, denouncing this week's strike on Doha as a blatant attempt to derail Gaza truce talks.
"The continuation of such attacks does not only target Qatar. It is a clear threat to target any country that is working on achieving peace, and that undermines the trust in the United Nations," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said.
"The attack is a violation of the sovereignty of a state member of the United Nations. This attack is far away from the civilised behaviour of states that believe in peace," he added, referring to Israel’s strike on Hamas negotiators in Doha earlier this week.
The assault, which killed five members of the Hamas resistance group and a Qatari security officer, came as the group was discussing a US-backed ceasefire proposal.
Sheikh Mohammed said the strike made clear Israel was "trying to rearrange the region by force" while relying on "fundamentalist ideas" to justify its actions.
"How can we host Israeli representatives when they have committed this attack? Have you heard of any state attacking a mediator this way?" he asked.
Anchored in mediation
The Qatari leader stressed that Doha remains committed to mediation and the peaceful settlement of disputes, but warned that it will not tolerate threats to its security.
He accused Israel’s leadership of being "bloodthirsty extremists" who "believe they enjoy impunity" while carrying out a genocide in Gaza and destabilising the wider region.
Peace, he said, requires an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, humanitarian access to Gaza and a two-state solution.
At the same meeting, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi described Israel as "a rogue government soaked in the blood of innocent people" that systematically violates sovereignty and international law while imposing famine on Gaza.
He called on the international community to act "immediately and effectively" to stop Israel’s "arrogance" and protect the region from its "disastrous actions."
Doha has hosted Hamas's political office since 2012 at the request of Washington and Tel Aviv, and has led mediation with Egypt in repeated ceasefire attempts.
The Israeli strike has cast doubt on those efforts, but Qatar has vowed to continue.
