France and Britain circulated a draft UN Security Council statement expressing deep concern over Israel’s strike in Qatar, as global bodies and UN leaders condemned the attack as a violation of international law and sovereignty.
France and Britain have distributed a draft press statement to members of the United Nations Security Council regarding the Israeli attack on Qatar, Al-Jazeera reported, citing diplomatic sources. This comes amidst widespread global and UN condemnation of the attack as a violation of international laws, norms, and conventions.
The draft press statement reportedly conveys the Council members’ deep concern over the attack on Doha, which resulted in the deaths of civilians, the sources explained.
Included in the draft statement is the affirmation that the Council’s top priorities remain the release of all prisoners and ending the war and suffering in the Gaza Strip.
Global Condemnation
The Council of Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly, on Wednesday, said in a statement that it has followed with deep concern the developments related to the Israeli attack on the sovereign state of Qatar, adding that it constitutes a violation of International Law and the United Nations Charter.
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Further, the Assembly’s Council of Presidents stated that it is illegal for the Israeli military to operate in Qatar and a violation of the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states.
The violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in addition to the targeting of political figures in Qatar while they were in the midst of a negotiation process, has been strongly condemned by the Assembly’s Council of Presidents.
Additionally, the Council stressed that the Israeli operation in Qatar undermines efforts to achieve peace and stability. It called on Israel to halt such attacks immediately, and stated that it would hold Israel responsible for any escalation.
For his part, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, condemned Tuesday’s attack, calling it a “flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Guterres’ spokesperson reiterated that the Secretary-General “unequivocally” condemned the attack targeting Qatar’s sovereignty, stressing that such an attack represents a “flagrant violation of the territory of a sovereign state.”
Qatar announced on Tuesday that Israel launched a “cowardly attack targeting the residential headquarters of several members of Hamas’ political bureau in Doha.”
In a statement, the Israeli army said that it attacked the “Hamas leadership” in Doha with its air force, in cooperation with the Shin Bet security service.
Hamas announced that its negotiating delegation, led by its head in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, survived Israel’s assassination attempt.
(PC, AJA)
