Qatar accuses Israel of deliberately undermining Gaza mediation

Prime Minister tells UN Security Council his country will continue to play 'humanitarian and diplomatic role without any hesitation'

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman addresses the emergency sitting of the UN Security Council on September 11. Reuters

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman on Thursday accused Israel of deliberately undermining mediation efforts with its strike on Hamas officials in Doha, and of using force and fundamentalist ideology to reshape the region.

Sheikh Mohammed told the UN Security Council, however, that his country would continue to play a "humanitarian and diplomatic role without any hesitation" in efforts to secure peace. Doha has been hosting talks aimed at ending the Israel-Gaza war.

“Bloodthirsty extremists have gone beyond any borders, any limitations when it comes to behaviour, not only among states, but among individuals. We are unable to predict what Israel can do,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

He said the Israeli strike carried out while Qatar was engaged in talks to broker a ceasefire “proves only one thing: that the current leaders of Israel are arrogant and believe they enjoy impunity".

"It also shows that extremists that rule Israel today do not care about the hostages. This is not a priority."

What next after Israel’s strike on Doha?

09:22

Tuesday’s unprecedented strikes on a Gulf state sent shockwaves through a region long considered to be insulated from conflict, and stalled already faltering Gaza ceasefire talks.

Israel said it had aimed for Hamas leaders in the operation, although the group said its senior officials escaped unharmed.

Before the meeting, the Security Council condemned the strikes, while stopping short of attributing them to Israel.

In the statement, the 15-member body expressed solidarity with Qatar, underscored respect for its sovereignty and highlighted its role alongside Egypt and the US in mediation efforts aimed at ending the Gaza war. Council members said the release of hostages and ending the war must remain the top priorities.

"Any action that undermines the work of mediation and dialogue weakens confidence in the very mechanisms we depend on for conflict resolution," UN undersecretary general for political affairs Rosemary Di Carlo told an emergency meeting of the Security Council.

Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon warned Sheikh Mohammed that "history will not be kind to accomplices".

“For too long, Qatar had harboured terrorists offering Hamas leaders sanctuary in luxury hotels while they orchestrate massacres and terror attacks," he said. "Either Qatar condemns Hamas, expels Hamas and brings Hamas to justice, or Israel will".

The UAE told council members that failure to respond decisively to Israeli actions could destabilise the Middle East.

Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, said Israel’s “reckless, belligerent actions” would not bring peace, but instead fuel “violence, extremism and chaos".

He said continuing threats of land annexation and attacks on neighbouring states “destroy any foundation for lasting peace and threaten the region’s stability".

Dr Gargash urged restraint and de-escalation, cautioning that repeated violations of UN principles could have severe consequences for regional and international security.