Web Desk; Pakistan on Wednesday formally requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) following Israeli airstrikes in Qatarās capital, Doha, that targeted the Hamas leadership.
The request, made in coordination with Somalia and Algeria, came after what Islamabad described as āunprovoked illegal Israeli aggressionā against a Gulf state that has long hosted the Palestinian groupās political offices.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the move on X, stating Pakistan stood in ācomplete solidarityā with Qatar and its people. Qatar itself condemned the strikes as a ācowardly actā and a blatant violation of international law. The Gulf state has served as a key mediator alongside Egypt in efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gazaās nearly two-year conflict.
The strikes marked an escalation in Israelās military campaign, expanding operations beyond Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria to the Gulf.
Israelās Defence Minister Israel Katz defended the decision, declaring that āIsraelās long arm will act against its enemies anywhereā and vowing that all those involved in the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault would be held accountable.
According to Hamas, six people were killed in the attack, including an aide and adult son of senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, three bodyguards, and a Qatari security officer.
Hamas leaders, including Hayya and former chief Khaled Meshaal, reportedly survived. The group said the strike demonstrated Israelās failure to eliminate its negotiating delegation.
The attack provoked sharp global reactions, including a rare rebuke from U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House insisted Washington had warned Qatar in advance, though Doha said the information came only once the strikes were underway.
Trump stressed he had not approved the decision, calling it a unilateral action by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. āI view Qatar as a strong ally and feel badly about the location of the attack,ā he said, while reiterating that Hamasās elimination remained āa worthy goal.ā
Israelās ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, dismissed criticism, telling Fox News that if Hamas leaders had survived this round, āweāll get them the next time.ā Similarly, Israelās UN envoy Danny Danon insisted the assault was aimed at Hamas, not Qatar, and suggested it was necessary regardless of U.S. interests.
In Gaza itself, Israeli bombardment continued unabated. On Wednesday, the military demolished another residential tower in Gaza City, warning residents beforehand to evacuate. AFP images showed thick smoke rising as the Tiba 2 tower collapsed, with Palestinians combing the rubble for belongings.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened sharply, with the UN declaring famine in parts of the enclave last month. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen described the scenes from Gaza as ācatastrophicā and said she would push for sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers and trade curbs. Israelās Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded that such moves sent āthe wrong messageā and emboldened Hamas.
Qatarās prime minister said his country reserved the right to respond to the strikes, calling them a āpivotal momentā for the region. Russia and China also condemned the attack, warning it undermined fragile peace efforts. Germany signaled it would consider proposals to reassess ties with Israel amid growing concern over the humanitarian toll.
Israelās ongoing offensive has left more than 64,600 Palestinians dead, most of them civilians, sparking mounting accusations of war crimes and genocide ā allegations Israel rejects.
