Web Desk; Pakistan on Wednesday formally requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) following Israeli airstrikes in Qatarâs capital, Doha, that targeted the Hamas leadership.
The request, made in coordination with Somalia and Algeria, came after what Islamabad described as âunprovoked illegal Israeli aggressionâ against a Gulf state that has long hosted the Palestinian groupâs political offices.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the move on X, stating Pakistan stood in âcomplete solidarityâ with Qatar and its people. Qatar itself condemned the strikes as a âcowardly actâ 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 Gazaâs nearly two-year conflict.
The strikes marked an escalation in Israelâs military campaign, expanding operations beyond Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria to the Gulf.
Israelâs Defence Minister Israel Katz defended the decision, declaring that âIsraelâs long arm will act against its enemies anywhereâ 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 Israelâs 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. âI view Qatar as a strong ally and feel badly about the location of the attack,â he said, while reiterating that Hamasâs elimination remained âa worthy goal.â
Israelâs ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, dismissed criticism, telling Fox News that if Hamas leaders had survived this round, âweâll get them the next time.â Similarly, Israelâs 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 âcatastrophicâ and said she would push for sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers and trade curbs. Israelâs Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded that such moves sent âthe wrong messageâ and emboldened Hamas.
Qatarâs prime minister said his country reserved the right to respond to the strikes, calling them a âpivotal momentâ 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.
Israelâs ongoing offensive has left more than 64,600 Palestinians dead, most of them civilians, sparking mounting accusations of war crimes and genocide â allegations Israel rejects.
