India on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the unprecedented Israeli airstrikes in Doha, the capital of Qatar, and called for urgent steps to safeguard peace and stability in the wider West Asian region. The Ministry of External Affairs, responding to media reports of the assault, said it was “deeply concerned by this development and its impact on the security situation in the region.” In its statement, New Delhi emphasized the importance of exercising restraint and relying on diplomacy to ensure that fragile regional stability is not endangered further.
The rare military action was confirmed by Israel, which stated that the strikes were directed at senior Hamas leaders based in Doha. This admission drew swift condemnation from Qatar, which described the airstrikes as a direct violation of its sovereignty and an assault on its role as a mediator in ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. According to Qatari officials, several Hamas political bureau members were targeted in residential areas, leading to casualties, including the death of one officer from Qatar’s Internal Security Force and injuries to several others.
Hamas also confirmed the fallout from the strikes. While its senior leadership reportedly survived, five lower-ranking members of the group were killed. Among those confirmed dead were Jihad Labad, who served as the director of Khalil al-Hayya’s office, Humam al-Hayya, the son of senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, and three other associates. Despite the loss, Hamas sought to project resilience, with political bureau member Suhail al-Hindi telling Al Jazeera that the organisation’s top leadership had escaped unharmed.
The strikes have caused an uproar globally, with diplomats and leaders warning that the attack represents a dangerous breach of international law. Qatar, a close ally of the United States and a hub for sensitive negotiations involving Hamas and Israel, has been at the centre of ceasefire diplomacy for months. Its officials noted that the Israeli action not only threatened lives but also undermined delicate mediation efforts.
In Washington, a White House official confirmed that the US had been notified in advance of Israel’s intentions. This acknowledgment added a new dimension to the controversy, raising questions about Washington’s role and awareness of the potential consequences of such a bold military move. The revelation came only months after President Donald Trump’s visit to Qatar in May, where he stayed at a hotel located barely two kilometers from the site of the strikes.
The timing of the Doha strike is also significant. Just a day earlier, Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, had claimed responsibility for a deadly shooting at a bus stop outside Jerusalem that killed six people. Analysts have suggested that Israel’s dramatic action in Qatar may have been a retaliatory response, but the decision to strike on foreign soil has shocked even seasoned observers of the conflict.
The developments underscore the growing volatility in West Asia, where regional and global powers are struggling to contain the spiraling crisis. For India, which has longstanding ties with both Israel and the Gulf states, the strikes in Doha represent a troubling escalation that threatens to unravel fragile diplomatic balances and draw wider international concern.
