Erdoğan condemns Israel's Doha strike in call with Qatari emir

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sept. 9 condemned Israel’s deadly strike in the Qatari capital of Doha, calling it a violation of international law and an attempt to destabilize the region.

"The Israeli assault today on the Hamas negotiation delegation in Qatar has once again unequivocally revealed that the [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government, consumed by fury, seeks to exacerbate conflict and instability," Erdoğan said in a social media post hours after the attack.

Israeli officials said the strike targeted the Hamas leadership in Qatar’s capital, widening its campaign against the Palestinian group. Surveillance footage aired by Al Jazeera showed the attack on buildings that housed the group's political wing in Doha’s diplomatic quarter.

Hamas said all of its senior leaders survived, but five lower-ranked members were killed. Qatar reported that a member of its Internal Security Force was killed and others were wounded.

"The security and peace of Qatar have been targeted by this attack, which blatantly breached international law and Qatar’s sovereignty," Erdoğan said. "Those who turn terrorism into a state policy will never achieve their goals."

Reaffirming Türkiye’s support for the Palestinians, Erdoğan said Ankara also stands firmly with Qatar, which he described as a strategic partner and ally. He condemned Israel’s ongoing acts of aggression as "banditry intended to drag the entire region into calamity."

Erdoğan and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani discussed the strike by phone on Sept. 9 and considered joint steps in response, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said. Erdoğan conveyed condolences for the lives lost in what he called a "heinous attack," adding that Ankara stands with the Qatari people.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to work together to stop the war in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the strike, describing it as "evidence of Israel’s expansionist policies and its adoption of terrorism as a state strategy." The ministry expressed solidarity with Qatar and renewed calls for the international community to pressure Israel to halt its actions in Gaza and the wider region.

The attack drew swift condemnation across the region and beyond. Qatar has played a key role in mediation efforts to end the Gaza conflict, but it was unclear whether the strike would derail those negotiations.