World leaders from across the Middle East, United Nations’ Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, UK, France and other international political analysts from Nigeria, yesterday, condemned Israel’s attack on Doha, the Qatari capital, which targeted Hamas senior leaders, saying the action violated international law.
Yesterday’s attack was the first by Israel in Qatar, a key mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas and home to the region’s largest United States military base, Al Udeid Air Base.
The strikes came as the Hamas negotiating team were meeting to consider the latest ceasefire proposal put forth by the United States.
It also came a day after Hamas shooting in Jerusalam killed six people and a few days after the US President, Donald Trump, delivered an ultimatum to Hamas on social media, saying the Israelis had accepted what he called “his terms” for a ceasefire, adding that it was time for Hamas to accept as well.
Qatar, which has been a key mediator in efforts to broker a truce in Gaza, said Israeli strikes targeted the homes of several members of Hamas’ political bureau residing in the Gulf country, where the militant group’s senior leadership is based.
However, reports have it that only a Hamas leader’s son was killed in the attack, while the group’s leadership survived.
Following the attack, the Israeli military released a statement, saying the attack was carried out by the IDF and the Shin Bet intelligence service.
“The members of the leadership who were attacked led the terrorist organization’s activities for years, and are directly responsible for carrying out the October 7 massacre and waging the war against the State of Israel”, it added, referring to the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The statement said before the attack, “steps were taken to minimise harm to uninvolved people, including the use of precision weapons and additional intelligence information.”
Israel takes full responsibility for the attack
Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has taken responsibility for the attack, saying he ordered the strikes in response to a Monday shooting in Jerusalem that killed six people, with Hamas claiming responsibility.
“Yesterday, following the deadly attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed all security agencies to prepare for the possibility of targeting Hamas leaders,” said a joint statement from Netanyahu and Defence Minister, Israel Katz.
“Today at noon (0900 GMT), in light of an operational opportunity… the prime minister and the defence minister decided to implement the directive given last night,” the statement added.
Speaking, Netanyahu said: “Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
It widens crisis frontiers – Ochogwu
Reacting to the attack, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, Director General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, IPCR, of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday’s attack had widened the frontiers of the crisis and called for de-escalation.
“This is a very ugly development adding to sad events in the Middle East. With the Israeli Defence Forces hitting suspected elements of Hamas in Doha, this amounts to widening the frontiers of the theatre of the crisis between Israel and Hamas.
“The regional implications is a clear signal by Israeli authorities that they are willing to strike any enemy or perceived supporters of its enemies wherever, whenever, and in any way possible. This portends grave danger for the international system,” he said.
He called on Hamas to release all remaining Israelis captured in the October attack that triggered the current crisis, and also appealed to Israel to stop disproportionate collective punishment of innocent civilians in Gaza.
Israel has been bombarding Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria as well as carrying out daily attacks in the occupied West Bank in Palestine. In recent days, it has increased the intensity of the attack, threatening to annihilate the remaining Gaza City.
The Israeli-Hamas war, which began on October 2023, following a surprise attack by Hamas, has resulted in significant human suffering and loss of lives with over 66,700 people reportedly killed in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, while over 1,000 have been killed on the Israeli side.
Also, more than 400 journalists and humanitarian workers have also been killed in almost two years of the war.