Qatar said it has begun taking legal steps in response to an Israeli attack on its territory.
Doha “has started taking all necessary legal measures against the Israeli aggression,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi told the eighth ministerial meeting of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Dialogue in Sochi on Thursday.
He said Qatar “will continue, with its strategic partners, to promote justice and defend international legitimacy that protects the rights of peoples to self-determination and dignity.”
“We have been subjected to Israeli aggression that claimed innocent lives in violation of international norms,” Al-Muraikhi added, warning that Israel’s conduct “reflects arrogance and recklessness and undermines efforts to resolve disputes peacefully.”
The state minister held Israel fully responsible for escalating tensions in the region, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of destabilising the Middle East.
His remarks came a day after Qatar sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Sangjin Kim, South Korea’s acting envoy who currently chairs the Security Council, condemning the Israeli strike in Doha as a “cowardly” and “criminal act” that violated international law.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to convene later on Thursday to discuss the situation after its emergency meeting was postponed from Wednesday at Qatar’s request to allow Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to attend. Algeria and Pakistan initially called the session.
On Tuesday, Qatar strongly condemned the Israeli attack as a “blatant violation of international law” and a threat to its sovereignty and security.
The Gulf state has been a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas to end Tel Aviv’s deadly assault that has killed more than 64,700 people since October 2023.
Hamas confirmed that five members were killed in the Israeli attack, while its leadership survived.
