Erdoğan slams Israel's attack on Doha, vows firm support to Qatar

On September 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took to social network X to condemn Israel’s attack on a Hamas delegation in Doha, Qatar, which occurred on September 8.

“Israel’s attack on the Hamas negotiating team in Qatar once again clearly demonstrates that Netanyahu’s reckless government intends to escalate the conflict and destabilisation. This attack, a blatant violation of international law and Qatar’s sovereignty, also threatens security and peace in our brotherly country, Qatar. I condemn this attack,” Erdoğan wrote, according to Caliber.Az.

“Türkiye stands with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, as well as with our ally, strategic partner, and friend, the State of Qatar, with all our resources. Those who make terrorism state policy will never achieve their goals," the Turkish leader pledged.

He added: "We will maintain a firm and unwavering stance against Israeli banditry, which seeks to drag the entire region into disaster. We will continue to defend peace, international law, and the freedom of the Palestinian people at any cost,” he added.

On September 9, Israel conducted a precise airstrike in Doha, Qatar, targeting senior Hamas leaders amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations mediated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt. The operation, involving 15 Israeli fighter jets and 10 munitions, struck residential buildings in the Katara district housing members of Hamas’s political bureau, where the group was discussing a U.S. ceasefire proposal for Gaza that included hostage releases and a 60-day truce. Explosions were reported around 2:00 p.m. local time, with smoke billowing over the area near schools and embassies, causing panic among residents.

Hamas confirmed that five of its members were killed, including the son of chief Gaza leader and lead negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, his office manager, three bodyguards, and an aide, but stated that the core negotiating delegation, including al-Hayya, survived the attempt on their lives. A Qatari internal security official also died in the strike, bringing the total confirmed deaths to six. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet described the action as a “precise strike” against Hamas figures responsible for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to the ongoing Gaza war, now in its 23rd month with over 64,000 Palestinian deaths reported.

By Khagan Isayev