A rare and public split emerged between Israel and its closest Western allies during an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Thursday. The United States, France, and the United Kingdom all expressed strong condemnation of Israel’s airstrike against Qatar, a key mediator in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
Western Allies Condemn Israeli Strike
In a historically significant move, the United States joined all 15 Security Council members in a joint statement condemning the strike. Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea described the operation as “counterproductive” and stated that it “does not advance Israel or America’s goals.” She emphasized the importance of de-escalation and supporting Qatar’s crucial role in the peace process.
- France’s Ambassador to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, called the strike a violation of international law. He insisted that a “political solution based on the two-State framework is essential,” which includes recognizing a sovereign Palestinian state.
- The UK’s Ambassador, Dame Barbara Woodward, also “wholly condemned” the attack, saying it would do “nothing to deliver peace in the Middle East, or to help safeguard Israel’s long-term security.”
Israel Defends Actions as Pakistan Responds Forcefully
In response, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon took a defiant stance, accusing his Western allies of a double standard. He drew a controversial parallel between Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and the US operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Danon argued that if targeting a terrorist on foreign soil was acceptable in that instance, the same logic should apply to Hamas.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, immediately exercised the right of reply, rejecting Danon’s comparison as “unacceptable” and “ludicrous.” He accused Israel of attempting to “deflect attention from its own illegal actions and violations of international law.”
Ahmad described Israel as an “occupier, a serial violator of the UN Charter and international law” and said that despite being the aggressor, Israel was “pretending to be the victim. But today, it stands fully exposed.”
Qatar’s Prime Minister Addresses the Council
Qatar’s Prime Minister delivered a powerful address, strongly denouncing the Israeli attack in Doha. He said the strike targeted a residential compound for negotiating teams, terrorizing civilians and violating the sovereignty of a UN member state. He accused Israel of being led by “bloodthirsty extremists” who have “gone beyond any borders, any limitation.”
He questioned the logic of attacking a country actively mediating peace efforts, asking, “Have you heard of any state that is attacking the mediator this way? A state that is attacking the negotiating teams that are hosted by Qatar?”
