UN Security Council Condemns Israeli Strikes on Qatar, US Joins in Solidarity

Tue Oct 21 2025 12:28:32 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a rare consensus, the UN Security Council, with the US on board, condemned Israeli strikes on a residential area in Doha, Qatar. This development underscores tensions in a region already fraught with conflict.

The UN Security Council has united in condemning Israeli airstrikes in Qatar targeting Hamas members, with all 15 members, including the US, supporting the statement. The strikes have raised significant geopolitical tensions, particularly given Qatar's role as a mediator in the Israel-Gaza conflict. Qatar's Prime Minister criticized Israel for its actions, highlighting the broader implications for peace efforts in the region.

The United Nations Security Council has condemned Israel's strikes on a residential compound in the Qatari capital Doha, which targeted senior members of Hamas.

The statement - which did not directly name Israel - was backed by all 15 Security Council members, including the US, which traditionally blocks actions against its close ally.

Council members underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar, read the statement, drafted by the UK and France. Israel defended its decision to mount the attack.

Qatar has played a key role in brokering diplomatic efforts to end the Israel-Gaza war, serving as a mediator of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel.

It has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012 and is a close US ally, hosting a large American airbase in the desert south-west of Doha.

The emergency meeting was requested by Qatar, Algeria, Pakistan, and Somalia. Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani traveled to New York to attend.

This attack puts the international community before a test, al-Thani told the council.

Israel, led by blusterous extremists, has gone beyond any borders, any limitations when it comes to behaviour. We are unable to predict what Israel will do. How can we host Israeli representatives when they have committed this attack?

Pakistan's ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad expressed that it is evident that Israel, the occupying power, is bent on doing everything to undermine and blow up every possibility of peace. Meanwhile, Algeria's ambassador commented on the council's constraints in naming Israel as the aggressor.

Israeli representative Danny Danon defended the strikes, claiming, This strike sends a message that should echo across this chamber. There is no sanctuary for terrorists, not in Gaza, not in Tehran, not in Doha.

US President Donald Trump criticized Israel's actions, stating that the moves do not advance peace objectives but acknowledged the possibility of the incidents being a chance for peace in the long run.

The attacks have sent shockwaves throughout the region, as many believed that close US-Qatar relations provided security against such incidents.

Hamas confirmed that several members were in the vicinity during the strikes, with casualties occurring, sparking further outrage from the international community.