A sharp exchange of words took place at an emergency UN Security Council meeting convened to address Israel’s recent strike in Doha, Qatar. The session was requested by Algeria, Pakistan, and Somalia, with support from France and the United Kingdom.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, opened his address by strongly condemning Israel’s strike as a “brazen and illegal assault” and a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty. He stated that the attack was not an isolated incident but part of a consistent pattern of aggression that undermines regional peace. Ahmad also highlighted that the strike targeted a residential neighborhood, which he described as a “grave breach of the International Humanitarian Law.”
He called the attack a direct challenge to diplomacy, noting that it targeted a principal mediator at a time when delicate peace negotiations were reportedly progressing. Ahmad reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Qatar, citing the recent visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Doha as a demonstration of Islamabad’s support for the Gulf nation’s security and sovereignty.
In response, Israel’s ambassador invoked the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan to justify the strike in Doha. He said, “When bin Laden was eliminated in Pakistan, the question asked was not why target a terrorist on foreign soil. The question was why was a terrorist given shelter at all. The same question must be asked today.”
Pakistan immediately exercised its right of reply, with Ambassador Ahmad rejecting the analogy as “unacceptable, indeed ludicrous” and accusing Israel of trying to deflect attention from its own “illegal actions and violations of international law.” He asserted that Israel is an “occupier, a serial violator of the UN Charter and international law” and that it “pretends to be the victim.”
Following Pakistan’s response, the Israeli ambassador returned to the floor, accusing Pakistan and others of applying double standards. “You cannot change the fact that 9/11 happened, and you cannot change the fact that Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan and was killed on your territory,” he said. “When you criticise us…think about the standards you apply to your country and the standards you apply to Israel.”
The Security Council also heard from other major powers, with Qatar’s prime minister, the US, France, and the UK all condemning the Israeli strike. Qatar’s prime minister called the attack “state terrorism” and a deliberate attempt to sabotage negotiations. The US stated that a unilateral bombing inside a sovereign nation did not serve the interests of Israel or Washington. France and the UK also condemned the action as a violation of international law and counterproductive to peace.
The debate highlighted deep divisions within the Security Council. However, the session concluded with the council collectively reaffirming the importance of mediation, the release of hostages, and the need for a political solution to the Gaza conflict.
