Israel-Qatar latest: US joins UN Security Council’s condemnation of Doha airstrike ahead of Trump’s meeting with Qatari PM – UK Times

The US has joined members of the UN Security Council in issuing a joint statement which expressed “deep concern” without mentioning Israel by name and emphasising “de-escalation”.

Approved by the 15-member council, the statement also conveyed its solidarity with Qatar and the “vital role” it’s played in mediating peace efforts in recent years.

President Donald Trump has walked a delicate line between two major allies following the Israeli attack, saying the unilateral action “did not advance Israel or America’s goals”. He has said he’s “not thrilled about it” but also suggested that “this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for peace.”

Qatar has hosted Hamas’ political leadership for years in Doha, in part over a request by the US to encourage negotiations to end the war that started with Hamas’ attack on Israel.

During the Security Council session, acting US ambassador Dorothy Shea repeated Trump’s sentiments and defended Israel’s decision to target Hamas leaders.

“Eliminating Hamas, which has profited from the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal,” she said.

US president Donald Trump is expected to meet Qatar’s prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani this evening in New York.

The duo will meet and discuss the aftermath of the Israeli strike against Hamas leaders in Doha, Axios reported.

An Israeli attack that targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar this week was an attempt to derail the ceasefire negotiations but would not change the Palestinian group’s terms for ending the war in Gaza, a Hamas official said on Thursday.

Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha on Tuesday, in what U.S. officials described as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.

In a televised address, Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum said the strike was not only an attempt to assassinate the negotiating delegation, but a deliberate blow to the entire process and a clear message rejecting any ceasefire deal.

He also accused Israel of targeting the mediation efforts of Qatar and Egypt.

“This attack was a blatant confirmation by Netanyahu and his criminal gang of their refusal to reach any agreement and their insistence on derailing all regional and international efforts aimed at halting the genocide”, Barhoum said.

However, the group has not officially announced it would close the door on future talks.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement on Thursday to push ahead with a controversial settlement expansion plan that would cut across land that the Palestinians seek for a state.

“There will never be a Palestinian state. This place is ours,” Netanyahu said during a visit to the Maale Adumim settlement in the West Bank where thousands of new housing units would be added.

“We will safeguard our heritage, our land, and our security.”

Last month, the E1 project, which would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, received final approval from a Defence Ministry planning commission.

Netanyahu was joined by nationalist members of his coalition, including far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who in August said a Palestinian state “is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions.”

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned recent strikes on Qatar’s capital Doha, but did not mention Israel in the statement agreed to by all 15 members, including Israel’s ally the United States.

While the United States traditionally shields its ally Israel at the United Nations, the country described the Israeli attack on Qatar as a unilateral attack that does not advance the alliance’s interests.

US backing for the Security Council statement, which could only be approved by consensus, reflects President Donald Trump’s unhappiness with the attack ordered by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Council members underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar. They underlined their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,” read the statement, drafted by Britain and France.

The widely condemned Doha operation was especially sensitive because Qatar has been hosting and mediating negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

“Council members underscored that releasing the hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the war and suffering in Gaza must remain our top priority,” the Security Council statement read.

The Security Council will meet later on Thursday to discuss the Israeli attack at a meeting due to be attended by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.