A UN official on Thursday condemned an Israeli strike targeting members of Hamas in Doha, Qatar, describing it as an “alarming escalation” that threatens ongoing negotiations to “broker a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.”

Israeli fighter jets carried out a strike against Hamas and its negotiating team on September 9, targeting a residential compound in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Hamas said that five of its members had been killed, in addition to a Qatari security official, but that the strike had not harmed any of its leadership. Israel claimed responsibility for the strike, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that it was a “wholly independent Israeli operation” carried out in response to a Hamas attack in Jerusalem on September 8. The attack came in the midst of mediation efforts hosted by Qatar to reach an agreement to release hostages in Gaza and enact a ceasefire. Qatar has acted as a mediator since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo stated in a Security Council meeting that the strike “potentially opens a new and perilous chapter in this devastating conflict, seriously threatening regional peace and stability.” She called for parties to “exercise utmost restraint” and “recommit to diplomacy,” emphasizing the importance of mediation and dialogue as a means to end the conflict in Gaza.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the attack as a “flagrant violation” of Qatari sovereignty. The strike has also been condemned by members of the UN Security Council, including the US, UK, and France. US President Donald Trump stated in a TruthSocial post that “[u]nilaterally bombing inside Qatar … does not advance Israel or America’s goals.” The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on September 10 condemning Prime Minister Netanyahu’s “shameful attempt” to “justify the cowardly attack that targeted Qatari territory, as well as the explicit threats of future violations of state sovereignty.” It further said that it would work to “ensure that Netanyahu is held accountable.”

The UN Charter, the founding document of the UN, affirms respect for state sovereignty as a binding obligation in Article 2. Under Article 2(4), member states must “refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”