OIC urges UN Security Council to take firm action against Israel after Doha strike
ANKARA
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is currently chaired by Türkiye, urged the U.N. Security Council on Thursday to "take firm measures" against Israel following its airstrike in Doha, Qatar.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the OIC, Türkiye's U.N. envoy Ahmet Yıldız condemned "in the strongest terms this despicable and unwarranted attack against the State of Qatar and in flagrant violation of its territorial sovereignty and national security."
"There is no doubt that this dastardly action constitutes a blatant violation of the norms of international law and certainly the Charter of the United Nations, much as it represents an overt threat to both the security of the Middle East region and indeed international peace and security," Yıldız said.
He described the Israeli strike as "state terrorism" and part of "systematic policies and ongoing efforts by Israel to destabilize the region."
Reaffirming the OIC's solidarity, Yıldız said: "We stand united in support of the right and duty of the State of Qatar to respond decisively to any reckless breach or aggression that threatens its security and jeopardizes regional stability."
Calling on the Council to take action, he said: "We call on the U.N. Security Council to take firm measures in the face of this unjustified use of armed force against the sovereignty of Qatar."
"Accordingly, we call on the Security Council to hold Israel accountable for this act of aggression against Qatar," he added.
The U.N. Security Council on Thursday condemned strikes on Qatar earlier this week and called for de-escalation, without naming Israel which carried out the attack.
The Security Council "underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar," said the statement, which required the agreement of all 15 council members, including Israel's ally the United States.
Council members also "underlined their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar."
On Tuesday, Israel launched an unprecedented strike on Qatar's capital Doha targeting Hamas leaders.
The group said its top officials survived, while five of its members were left dead and a Qatari security force member was also killed.
The Security Council statement called Doha "the territory of a key mediator" for peace talks between Israel and Hamas, alongside Egypt and the United States.
"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 statement continued.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who traveled to New York for the emergency meeting, welcomed the council's statement of support and reiterated his country's commitment to acting as a mediator in the conflict.
"We will continue our humanitarian and diplomatic role without any hesitation, in order to stop the bloodshed," Al-Thani said, a day after suggesting a reassessment of his country's mediation role.
"At the same time, we will not condone any attack on our sovereignty. We will reserve the right to respond through tools guaranteed by international law," he added, calling Israel's leaders "bloodthirsty extremists."
Since the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and Israel's subsequent retaliation, the Security Council has been largely paralyzed on the issue due to repeated vetoes by the United States and other member states.
But U.S. President Donald Trump, despite his support of Israel, said he was "not thrilled" with the attack on Tuesday in Doha, which targeted a residential complex hosting Hamas officials in the core of the city.
At a Security Council meeting on the strikes later Thursday, acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea told the body: "Unilateral bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation working very hard and bravely taking risks alongside the United States to broker peace, does not advance Israel's or America's goals."
"That said, it is inappropriate for any member to use this to question Israel's commitment to bringing their hostages home," Shea continued.
"Eliminating Hamas, which has profited off of the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal," she said, calling the strikes "unfortunate" but adding that "President Trump believes it could serve as an opportunity for peace."
