Qatar announced on Thursday, September 11th that funeral services for those killed by Israel in its airstrike that targeted Hamas figures in Doha earlier this week would take place this afternoon, Thursday September 11th after Asr prayer at Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque with burial scheduled at Mesaimeer Cemetery – according to The Peninsula Newspaper. Incident Overview On September 9th, Israel conducted an airstrike against a compound housing senior Hamas leaders. While Hamas reported its top officials had survived, five Hamas members and one Qatari security officer were killed, among them Himam al-Hayya – son of senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya – his office director Jihad Labad were among them as was Lance Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi al-Dosari of Lekhwiya) according to The New Indian Express Qatari Government Response The Qatari government has strongly denounced Israel’s strike as an invasion of their sovereignty and violation of international law, and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described it as an attack “blatantly violating” their sovereignty and international law, warning that Qatar reserves its right to respond with force if necessary and calling for coordinated regional responses against such aggression, according to The Times of India. Qatar is taking additional steps, beyond funerals, such as increasing its diplomatic efforts at the United Nations and hosting an Arab-Islamic summit to address this escalation. Furthermore, United Arab Emirates authorities reportedly barred Israeli firms from participating in their Air Show due to the strike; as reported by AP News. International Reactions The Israeli strike has drawn widespread international condemnation. Russia declared the attack a breach of United Nations Charter that threatens Qatar’s sovereignty while creating additional instability in the Middle East region. United States officials expressed concerns regarding Israel’s right to self-defense but noted its timing during ongoing ceasefire negotiations involving Qatar, according to Reuters. Humanitarian Impact The airstrike has severely compromised Gaza’s humanitarian situation since hostilities started in October 2023; over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since then. Furthermore, this attack has raised alarm among families of hostages still held there as it threatens ongoing negotiations for their release (The Guardian). As events unfold, Qatar remains committed to playing an active role as mediator between Israel and Hamas despite any challenges presented by recent escalation of tensions.
