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Attack killed 22 and added to media deaths Israel has failed to explainIsrael says it targeted a Hamas camera, but the device belonged to ReutersA Reuters analysis of visual evidence and other information about the Israeli attack on a Gaza hospital last month contradicts Israel's explanation of what happened in the deadly strike.The August 25 attack on Nasser Hospital killed 22, including five journalists. Israeli forces planned the attack using drone footage which, a military official said, showed a Hamas camera that was the target of the strike. But the visual evidence and other reporting by Reuters establish that the camera in the footage actually belonged to the news agency and had long been used by one of its own journalists.The Israeli military official now says that the troops acted without the required approval of the senior regional commander in charge of operations in Gaza. The official told Reuters about the breach of command after Reuters presented the findings of its investigation to the Israel Defense Forces.A day after Israeli tanks shelled Nasser Hospital, the official said the IDF's initial review found that troops targeted a Hamas camera because it was filming them from the hospital. The official said troops viewed the camera with suspicion because it was covered by a towel. A decision was made to destroy it, the official said then.A screenshot from the IDF drone footage shows the camera, draped with a two-toned cloth, on the hospital stairwell. The military official confirmed to Reuters last week that the cloth-covered camera was the target.But the cloth shown in the screenshot was not put there by Hamas. It was a prayer rug belonging to Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters journalist who was killed in the attack, the news agency's investigation of the incident found. At least 35 times since May, Masri had positioned his camera on the same stairwell at Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, to record live broadcasts fed to Reuters media clients across the globe. He often covered his camera with the green-and-white prayer rug to protect it from heat and dust, Reuters found. The Reuters investigation provides the most complete account to date of how the attack unfolded, including that Israeli forces breached the chain of command. Reuters also has established definitively that the targeted camera belonged to the news agency. The Associated Press, which lost a journalist in the hospital attack, previously reported that it had found strong indications that the camera Israeli forces described as their target belonged to Reuters.The IDF claim that Hamas was filming Israeli military forces from Nasser Hospital "is false and fabricated," said Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office. Israel is trying to "cover up a full-fledged war crime against the hospital, its patients and medical staff," he said.Despite the new disclosures, a month after the attack the IDF has yet to fully explain how it ended up hitting the Reuters camera and killing Masri. The Israeli military also has not explained:Why it did not warn hospital staff or Reuters that it intended to strike the hospital.Why, after striking the camera in its initial attack, the IDF shelled the stairwell again nine minutes later, killing other journalists and emergency responders who had rushed to the scene.Whether it took into account that the hospital stairwell where Masri was filming when he was killed was a spot used regularly by many journalists to record footage and file reports throughout the war.Who approved the strike. The military official did not say who gave the order to attack despite the lack of approval from the regional commander.The absence of a full explanation of what happened at Nasser Hospital fits a pattern in Israeli military attacks that have killed journalists since Israel launched its nearly two-year offensive after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The Committee to Protect Journalists says it has documented 201 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon, where the war spilled over shortly after the initial attack. The count includes 193 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza, six killed by Israel in Lebanon, and two Israelis killed in the October 7 attack.The CPJ said Israel has never published the results of a formal investigation or held anyone accountable in the killings of journalists by the IDF. "Furthermore, none of these incidents prompted a meaningful review of Israel's rules of engagement, nor did international condemnation lead to any change in the pattern of attacks on journalists over the past two years," said Sara Qudah, CPJ's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa."The IDF operates to mitigate harm to civilians as much as possible, including journalists," an IDF spokesperson said. "Given the ongoing exchanges of fire, remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risks. The IDF directs its strikes only towards military targets and military operatives, and does not target civilian objects and civilians, including media organizations and journalists as such."In examining the August 25 attack by Israeli forces, Reuters reviewed more than 100 videos and photos from the scene and interviewed more than two dozen people familiar with the attack and the events leading up to it. Those sources include two Israeli military officials and two Israeli military academics briefed by Israeli military sources on the strike.All told, 22 people were killed in the two attacks, including journalist Mariam Dagga, who worked for the Associated Press and other news organizations, and MoazAbu Taha, a freelance journalist who worked with several news organizations, including Reuters. Dagga and Masri were among many journalists who routinely gathered on the landing to record from a high vantage point and to file reports from the Khan Younis area of Gaza. Masri's live broadcasts captured Israeli strikes, ambulances bringing the wounded and the dead to the hospital, and the destruction of the surrounding area.A few days before the August 25 strike, an Israeli military surveillance drone recorded a camera on the top level of the eastern stairwell at Nasser Hospital, according to the Israeli military official, who cited the IDF's initial inquiry, and the two military academics with close contacts in the Israeli military. Troops characterized the camera as a threat, they said, because Hamas has used cameras to plan attacks. Asked whether the group used cameras, the Hamas official said it used them to document its attacks on Israeli soldiers.A screenshot taken from the drone footage shows a thick, two-toned cloth draped over the camera. A person wearing a white head covering and dark clothing sits behind it. The screenshot was first published on August 25 by an Israeli TV news channel, N12, which said at the time that it depicted the camera "that endangered our troops."Reuters obtained the screenshot from Refael Hayun, an Israeli civilian who says he monitors the situation in Gaza, where he has contacts on the ground. Hayun said the drone footage was captured around 2:15 p.m. on August 21. On that day, Masri set up a camera to record from the hospital stairwell continuously between 8:00 a.m. and 6:14 p.m., according to a Reuters archive of the footage.Hayun declined to identify the source of the screenshot or how he obtained it. But the Israeli military official confirmed that the screenshot is from drone footage that Israeli troops recorded before the August 25 attack and shows the camera that troops targeted in the shelling. The official, who said his information is from the IDF's initial inquiry, did not provide the precise date of the screenshot but said the camera was seen "repeatedly for many days in a row.""The camera from that picture was the camera that they attacked," the Israeli military official told Reuters on September 16.The cloth covering Masri's camera became a focus of attention after the attack - both because the Israelis cited it as a factor that justified the strike and because it provided a clue to the true ownership of the device.On the day after the strike, the Israeli military official referred to the cloth as a "towel" and said troops viewed it with suspicion. The official said that towels can be used to evade IDF heat sensors and visual observations from the sky. The troops saw "a lot of suspicious behavior that was tracked for days and cross-referenced with intelligence," he said, without elaborating.But instead of a towel, the cloth covering the camera in the drone screenshot was Masri's green and white prayer rug, Reuters found. It is shown in an August 13 photo taken by Dagga, the AP journalist. Dagga's photo captures Masri standing next to his camera in the same hospital stairwell that was targeted by the IDF.Masri routinely covered the Reuters camera to protect the equipment's optics and electronics from the scorching heat that enveloped Gaza in August, according to three members of the Reuters visuals team. He often used the thick cloth, which was his prayer rug, according to Masri's brother Ezzeldeen al-Masri. Reuters was never told by Israel not to cover its camera with a towel or other cloth, a spokesperson for the news agency said.Witnesses say the camera in the drone screenshot could only be Masri's. No one else in the last few months used a large video camera on a tripod to record there or covered the gear with a prayer rug. Other journalists used cellular phones, the witnesses said.Adding to the Israeli military's suspicion about the camera and its location was that troops also saw another "towel" covering the head of a person nearby, the military official said.In the screenshot from IDF drone footage that shows the troops' target, a person sits near the camera wearing dark clothing and what appears to be a white headscarf. The person appears to be Dagga, in a similar outfit to what she is seen wearing in four other visuals taken at that same location, including one from August 16 and another from the day of the attack. On August 21, the day the IDF drone footage was recorded, Dagga was using her phone to record a live broadcast from the stairwell for the AP.Reuters visuals journalist Mohammad Salem, who left Gaza earlier this year and knew Dagga well, identified the person in the drone screenshot as the AP reporter. Salem said he recognized her head scarf. Also, Masri had told Salem that Dagga was recording near him on the stairwell a few days before the attack.When he was killed on August 25, Masri had been recording from the hospital's stairwell for about two hours. As he had done routinely throughout the month, he had positioned his camera on the fourth floor to capture live coverage of the area. The elevated spot allowed for better visibility, access to electricity and a stronger internet connection, said Salem. From the stairwell, the camera recorded the hospital's surroundings, including the busy street out front."We thought the hospital was relatively safe, especially since everyone knows that there are journalists in this place and that they use it on a daily basis," said Salem.In the early days of the war, Reuters shared with the Israeli military locations of its teams in Gaza, including at Nasser Hospital, to try to ensure they would not be targeted, the Reuters spokesperson said. But after many journalists were killed in IDF strikes, Reuters stopped giving precise coordinates."However, Israel was fully aware that Reuters and multiple other news organizations were operating from Nasser Hospital, which has been one of the nerve centers for coverage out of Gaza," the spokesperson said.Witnesses said the IDF had drones in the sky throughout the attack. About 40 minutes before the first tank strike, Reuters photographer Hatem Khaled was outside the hospital. He sent a message to Khan Younis colleagues on a WhatsApp group: "Quadcopter now, exactly over Nasser Hospital."At 10:12 a.m., about four minutes after the first attack, freelance journalist Khaled Shaath recorded a quadcopter drone flying over the hospital.Ahmed Abu Ubeid, a doctor in the forensic medicine department at Nasser who was injured in the second strike, said the drone hovered in the air near the hospital entrance for more than 10 minutes. "It was recording and seeing us and seeing we are all doctors and civil defense and nurses and journalists," Abu Ubeid told Reuters. "So, they saw us, and decided to hit us."Abu Ubeid said some of those killed and injured in the attack were on the ground level, multiple floors below where the tank shells struck, and were hit with shrapnel.Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted hospitals in Gaza, saying Hamas was operating from them, which the group denies.Attacks on hospitals typically constitute war crimes, two legal scholars told Reuters. There is a narrow exception when a hospital is used for "activity harmful to the enemy," said Tom Dannenbaum, a professor at Stanford Law School. But even when this threshold is met, attackers must ensure that expected civilian harm isn't excessive compared to military advantage, and they must first give warning to allow the other side to stop misusing the hospital and provide reasonable time to comply, he said.Mohammed Saqer, head of nursing at Nasser Hospital, said the IDF had the phone numbers for hospital staff and regularly called the head of the hospital to ask about the number of patients and supplies. The hospital never received a warning of the attack, he said."If they had warned us, we would have prevented this catastrophe," Saqer told Reuters over text message. Reuters also never received a warning of the attack, according to the Reuters spokesperson.The names of Masri, 49, Dagga, 33, and those of three other journalists killed in the August 25 attack add to a long list of journalists killed during the Israeli offensive while doing their work and in circumstances the IDF has rarely helped elucidate.Reuters still has received no explanation for why, in October 2023, an Israeli tank fired two shells at a group of clearly identified journalists in Lebanon who had been filming cross-border shelling. Thestrikes killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah and wounded six other journalists. Nearly two years after the attack, the case is still under examination, an IDF official told Reuters last week. Hostilities spread to the Israel-Lebanon border shortly after the Hamas attack on October 7, when Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel.The list of unexplained IDF killings of journalists dates back to before the Gaza war.In May 2022, Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh, wearing a clearly marked press vest, was shot dead while covering an Israeli army raid in the West Bank city of Jenin. Israeli authorities initially said that armed Palestinians were likely responsible; later, Israel's military concluded there was "a high possibility" that the Palestinian-American national was "accidentally hit by IDF gunfire."No criminal investigation would be launched, the military said at the time.Al Jazeera condemned the killing of its reporter as a "heinous crime," saying it was intended to "prevent the media from conducting their duty." In May 2023, a military spokesman told CNN that the IDF was "very sorry" for the death of Abu Akleh. The IDF has not provided a full account of how she was killed.After the killings of Abdallah and Abu Akleh, Israel said its forces do not intentionally target journalists.Since October 7, 2023, however, Israel has accused at least 15 journalists or media workers it killed in Gaza and Lebanon of being members of resistance groups, according to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The CPJ said it found no case in which Israel presented credible or sufficient evidence to justify the killings.The military official who spoke to Reuters and other journalists the day after the Nasser Hospital attack said repeatedly that the IDF had not targeted the Reuters or AP journalists. "They are a big part of why we're looking into this incident," he said. "There was no intention to harm them."That same day, the Israeli military released the names of six men whom it said were "terrorists" killed in the strikes on the hospital, without providing any evidence.One of the men listed by the IDF, Omar Abu Teim, was killed elsewhere, not in the August 25 attack, said Al-Thawabta, the head of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office.Another man was a first responder, according to a statement by the Palestinian Civil Defense, Gaza's emergency services organization. Reuters identified him in footage from August 25, in which he's seen rushing up the staircase after the first strike and helping direct the emergency response. After the second strike, his body can be seen hanging off the ledge on the fourth floor.A third man listed by the IDF was a member of the hospital staff, according to a post on Nasser Hospital's Facebook page.Two other men were visiting patients at the hospital and were taking part in rescue efforts when they were killed in the second strike, according to members of their families, who said the men had no affiliation with armed groups.Reuters could find no details about the sixth man, except to confirm that he was killed in the strikes on August 25.On the day after the attack, the military official who spoke to Reuters said that troops operating near Nasser Hospital identified a camera pointed at them in the days before the strike and that actions were approved "to remove the threat." In a separate statement released publicly the same day, the IDF identified the troops involved as belonging to the Golani Brigade.Masri's recordings from Gaza captured a wide array of scenes in front of Nasser Hospital, with some shots showing military activity far in the distance. On August 20 and 21, for instance, the camera captured Israeli diggers and a bulldozer excavating a demolished area 2.4 kilometers northeast of the hospital. Satellite imagery of the area on those dates shows the equipment surrounded by at least five tanks, which are not discernible in Masri's footage.Citing the IDF's initial review of the August 25 incident, the Israeli military official told Reuters that troops had correctly identified the target of the attack. The official, however, said that the IDF had launched a closer examination into possible mistakes made in the attack's execution."We're looking into this incident to understand what went wrong in the process of execution, acting against a real target that was threatening the forces," he said.Among the failures, Reuters found, was a breach in the chain of command.IDF rules require the approval of a very senior officer before firing on a civilian target if troops are not under attack, the military official said. In the case of Nasser Hospital, the forces on the ground would have had to obtain authorization from the head of the IDF's Southern Command, which has overall responsibility for the Gaza front. But the troops did not have approval from the commander, Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, the military official said. Reached by phone, Asor told Reuters that he was not authorized to speak to the press.Authorization for the strike would have had to include a legal assessment to ensure that the characterization of the target complied with international law, a second Israeli military official said. Such assessments are binding on Israeli troops; an attack is not supposed to proceed without this permission. The official said he was not aware that any such legal advisory was sought or given before the attack on Nasser.In addition to possible mistakes in the execution of the attack, the IDF has said it also would review which ammunition was approved prior to the strike and how.Reuters obtained photos of metal fragments found at Nasser Hospital taken by a doctor at the scene that day. The fragments are from tail fins of Israeli-made 120 mm tank rounds, according to five munitions experts who reviewed the photos of the fragments and visuals of the strike for Reuters.A similar tank shell was used in the 2023 Israeli military attack that killed Reuters video journalist Abdallah in Lebanon.A tank round was a disproportionate munition selection for the Nasser strike, given that the IDF says its target was a camera and that it was located at or within a hospital, said Wes Bryant, a former senior targeting adviser and policy analyst at the Pentagon, where he was branch chief of civilian harm assessments. But even a weapon that is likely to result in fewer unintended injuries and deaths than a tank shell will still have a high casualty count when aimed at a crowded stairwell, Bryant said.The IDF still has not explained why it struck the stairwell a second time, as journalists and first responders crowded on the landing.Reuters photographer Khaled was outside the hospital preparing to start his workday when the first blast hit. He grabbed his camera and rushed toward the building, documenting the scene along the way. He climbed the stairs to get to Masri. When he found him, Masri was already dead, his body covered in dust, his clothes torn and his equipment damaged.Khaled kept filming. "I couldn't do anything to help him other than document what had happened," he said. Rescue workers arrived and began moving Masri, placing him in a white bag.At 10:17 a.m., as Khaled and the rescuers walked down the stairs with Masri's body, the Israeli military struck the stairwell for the second time.Two munitions can be seen hitting the hospital a fraction of a second apart in footage obtained by Reuters. Khaled filmed the strike, which left him injured. Khaled has hearing loss from the blast and will require more surgery to remove shrapnel.

Qatar has vehemently condemned the attack that targeted a mosque in El Fasher city in Sudan, which resulted in fatalities and injuries.In a statement Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs considered the bombing a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, stressing Qatar's rejection of attacks on places of worship and the terrorising of civilians.The ministry reiterated Qatar's unwavering position in rejecting violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, regardless of motives or reasons.It extended Qatar's condolences to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of Sudan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed via phone the outcomes of a virtual summit convened by Macron on September 15, focused on regional developments, including the Israeli war on Gaza and the blatant Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar. According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, al-Sisi expressed appreciation for Macron's initiative to host the summit, which aimed to explore ways to de-escalate tensions across the region.During the call, al-Sisi also briefed Macron on the key outcomes of the emergency Arab-Islamic summit held in Doha. The two leaders discussed preparations for the upcoming "Two-State Solution" conference, scheduled for Sept 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's high-level session in New York. Both sides underscored the importance of the conference as a pivotal step toward recognizing the State of Palestine, in line with the two-state framework and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.Al-Sisi welcomed France's recent announcement of its intention to recognize the State of Palestine, calling it a positive contribution to achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. He also urged countries that have yet to recognize Palestine to take similar steps in support of international efforts to end the conflict and promote regional stability.

The State of Qatar has delivered an official message to the President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) concerning the armed attack carried out by Israel against residential premises of several members of Hamas' political bureau in Doha on September 9, 2025, which resulted in a number of martyrs and injuries.The message was delivered by Qatar's Permanent Representative to the ICAO, Essa Abdullah Al Maliki.The message stated that this attack constitutes a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar and the provisions of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, affirming that Qatar retains all its rights under international law.

British trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack have joined other bands and musicians in seeking to block their tracks being streamed in Israel as part of a cultural boycott campaign over the war in Gaza.The Bristol natives said they had joined "No Music for Genocide", a new collective of musicians modelled on the "Film Workers for Palestine" group.Massive Attack, who have nearly eight million monthly listeners on Spotify, wrote on Instagram on Thursday that they had asked their label, Universal, that "our music be removed from all... streaming services in the territory of Israel".A website for "No Music for Genocide" says it brings together more than 400 artists and labels that "have geo-blocked and removed their music" from Israel in protest at the country's Gaza campaign.On its website, it offers advice to artists on how to geo-block their songs to make them unavailable on streaming platforms in Israel.Massive Attack also announced that they had asked Universal to remove all of their songs from Spotify over investments in a European defence start-up by the CEO of the Swedish streaming platform.Daniel Ek, Spotify's co-founder and CEO, also runs a private equity company that led a consortium of investors which injected 600 million euros ($705 million) in European military artificial intelligence and drone maker Helsing in June.Ek is also chairman of Helsing, which says on its website that its mission is "to protect our democratic values and open societies".Massive Attack, who are long-time anti-war campaigners, criticised the links between Spotify and Helsing, saying that "the hard-earned money of fans and the creative endeavours of musicians funds lethal, dystopian technologies".Spotify declined to comment when contacted by AFP, but a spokesperson told the Guardian newspaper that Spotify and Helsing were "totally separate companies" and Helsing was "not involved in Gaza"."Our technology is deployed to European countries for deterrence and for defence against the Russian aggression in Ukraine only," said a statement from Helsing on its website.Like many other campaigners, Massive Attack cited the cultural boycott of apartheid-era South Africa as inspiration for their actions against Israel."Complicity with that state was considered unacceptable," the group said.After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many music industry companies withdrew or announced measures against Russia.Spotify closed its Moscow office and removed some sanctioned pro-war artists from the platform.Major record labels such as Sony, Universal and Warner all suspended their operations there and called for an end to the violence.Massive Attack took part in a major concert in London on Wednesday evening called "Together for Palestine" featuring top British artists including indie band Bastille, Brian Eno and DJ Jamie xx.With most Western governments resistant to major economic sanctions on Israel over the Gaza war, increasing numbers of musicians, actors and writers are speaking out in the hope of building public pressure for more action.

Israel undermined regional peace and stability in its attack last week on Hamas leaders who had been in Qatar to negotiate a ceasefire, the United Nations rights chief said during a debate at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday."Israel's strike on negotiators in Doha on 9 September was a shocking breach of international law, an assault on regional peace and stability, and a blow against the integrity of mediation and negotiating processes around the world," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told delegates.The airstrike risked undermining negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza's nearly two-year-old war, he said.The strike, which Hamas says killed five of its members but not its leadership, has prompted Gulf Arab states to close ranks. Arab and Islamic states held a summit in Doha on Monday to back Qatar.Qatar urged council members to hold Israel accountable. The Israeli strike on Doha amounted to "state terrorism" and a direct threat to regional stability, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, told the Tuesday's debate.Saudi Arabia's envoy in Geneva, Abdulmohsen Majed Binkhothaila, said: "Israeli actions are no longer sporadic violations, they constitute a systematic behaviour based on the indiscriminate killings ... and forced displacement in violation of all international norms and laws."Algeria and Pakistan joined Qatar in condemning Israel, while the European Union expressed its solidarity with Qatar.Separately on Tuesday, a UN Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, accusations Israel strongly rejected as it launched a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City.

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution to hold an emergency debate today, on Israel's September 9 attack against Qatar. This emergency debate was requested during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva by Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN in Geneva Bilal Ahmad, on behalf of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Group and Permanent Representative of the Kuwait Naser Al Hayen, on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit, scheduled for Monday, convened on Sunday in Doha. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, with the participation of the Foreign Ministers of the member states of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The meeting will address a draft statement regarding the Israeli attack against the State of Qatar on Sept. 9, which targeted residential buildings in Doha housing several leaders of the Hamas movement.

HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi received Sunday a phone call from Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Caretaker Government of Afghanistan Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. During the call, the latest developments in the region were reviewed, particularly the treacherous Israeli attack that targeted Doha. The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in the caretaker government expressed his country's solidarity with the State of Qatar. He also conveyed Afghanistan's appreciation to the State of Qatar for operating an air bridge to help alleviate the suffering of those affected by the recent earthquake in the eastern part of the country, and for its continued support for the Afghan people.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, discussed Saturday via phone the Israeli aggression against Qatar, which they condemned as a violation of international law and an escalation that will only increase tensions and conflict in the region. The two ministers stressed their full solidarity with Qatar, affirming its security, stability, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of its citizens.Al-Safadi and Fidan also emphasized the importance of the emergency Arab-Islamic summit to be hosted by Qatar on Monday, which aims to create a unified Arab and Islamic stance against the ongoing Israeli aggression that threatens regional security and stability.During the call, the ministers also discussed the latest developments in the region.They reaffirmed the need for coordinated efforts to halt the Israeli aggression on Gaza immediately, to reach a prisoner exchange agreement, and to ensure the immediate and sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, which is suffering from an unprecedented humanitarian disaster exacerbated by the ongoing aggression.

US President Donald Trump's top diplomat, Marco Rubio reiterated Saturday that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about Israel's strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar."There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want," Rubio told reporters.Israel’s nearly two-year-long campaign has killed more than 64,000 people in the Palestinian enclave, according to local authorities. It has sparked a hunger crisis and led to allegations that Israel is committing genocide, including this month by the world's biggest group of genocide scholars.Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives' release from Gaza.On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar's Prime Minister HE Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the White House.Later this month, countries including France and Britain are expected to recognise Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.

The international community shown unprecedented solidarity with Qatar in response to the brazen Israeli aggression that recently targeted residential compounds housing several Hamas leaders in Doha. The attack marked a dangerous precedent and a major turning point, not only for the Palestinian issue but also for political developments across the region.Global support for Qatar reflects the stature it enjoys among the nations and peoples of the world, in recognition of its ongoing efforts and multiple mediation initiatives aimed at promoting security, peace, stability, and development at both regional and international levels. The widespread international condemnation of this brutal attack is also a clear denunciation of Israel's repeated violations of international law and its undermining of peace efforts in the region.Leaders and senior officials from Arab, Islamic, and friendly countries, through official visits, statements, and communications with Qatar following the attack, strongly condemned the cowardly assault, emphasising that it constitutes a blatant violation of Qatar's sovereignty and a total disregard for international law and norms, as well as a dangerous escalation by Israel's war machine.Global reactions described the attack as a deliberate attempt to undermine Qatar's mediation efforts and a clear rejection of any peaceful solutions to end Israeli aggression in Gaza. The assault has made it unmistakably clear to the international community which party is obstructing peace and threatening regional security without regard for international laws or obligations.Despite this audacious attack, the unprecedented support and exceptional solidarity shown by countries worldwide — through high-level phone calls and visits expressing support for Qatar and the Qatari people — have reinforced Doha's symbolic status as a capital of peace, mediation, and dialogue.Since the first hours of the Israeli aggression, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani received continuous phone calls from world leaders expressing solidarity and condemning the criminal attack.In this context, His Highness received a call from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who affirmed his country's solidarity with Qatar and strongly condemned the Israeli strike on the residential compounds of Hamas leaders, describing it as a criminal act and a flagrant violation of international laws and norms, threatening the security of Qatar and the region.The Crown Prince emphasised Saudi Arabia's rejection of any aggression that threatens Qatar’s security and reaffirmed the Kingdom's support for measures taken by Qatar to protect its sovereignty.His Highness the Amir also received a call from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who conveyed Egypt's solidarity with Qatar and condemned the Israeli attack, describing it as a criminal act and a clear violation of international laws, threatening Qatar’s security and regional stability. President al-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's support for Qatar's actions to safeguard its sovereignty and security.Furthermore, the Amir received a call from US President Donald Trump, who expressed solidarity with Qatar and strongly condemned the violation of its sovereignty. The president highlighted that diplomatic solutions remain key to resolving regional issues and praised the tireless mediation efforts of His Highness and Qatar, recognising their essential role in promoting peace. He also reaffirmed that Qatar is a trusted strategic ally of the US and encouraged the Amir to continue Qatar's mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza.In a display of Arab, Islamic, and international solidarity, His Highness the Amir received phone calls from leaders of Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkiye, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Mauritania, and Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, as well as leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Ethiopia, India, Venezuela, Colombia, and the UN Secretary-General.Doha also hosted visits from numerous leaders and senior officials from sisterly and friendly countries to affirm their support for Qatar against the cowardly aggression.Among them were UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan; Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Khaled al Hamad al Sabah; and Crown Prince of Jordan Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II.Additionally, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Qatar, all affirming solidarity with Qatar and its people, emphasising that the Israeli attack constitutes a breach of Qatar’s sovereignty and international law, threatening regional security and stability.In continued international support, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani received multiple calls from Arab, Islamic, and global officials expressing solidarity and strong condemnation of the Israeli attack.In Washington, HE Sheikh Mohammed met with US Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss strategic relations and regional developments. Vance reiterated US support for Qatar, emphasising diplomatic solutions and Qatar's pivotal role in peace mediation.The UN Security Council held a session to examine the Israeli aggression against Qatar. HE Permanent Representative of Qatar to the UN Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani stated that the session successfully endorsed Qatar's clear and legal position.Regionally, the Gulf Co-operation Council condemned the attack in the strongest terms. Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi stressed full solidarity with Qatar and called for immediate international accountability for Israeli actions undermining regional security and stability.The Arab League Council, at the ministerial level, also strongly condemned the Israeli bombing in Doha, affirming full solidarity with Qatar.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack, emphasising that it aimed to undermine Qatar's security and stability. He reaffirmed Turkiye's full support for both the Palestinian people and Qatar as a strategic and friendly partner.Bahrain, Palestine, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq also issued statements condemning the brazen Israeli attack against Qatar.In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the Israeli strike as unacceptable under any circumstances, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticised the attacks, warning that they could escalate tensions in the region.In Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli aggression as a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, stressing that it threatened the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state and could further destabilise the Middle East.Foreign ministers from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom jointly condemned the attack, affirming that it violated Qatar's sovereignty and posed a serious regional risk. They expressed full support for Qatar's vital role in mediation efforts alongside Egypt and the US, calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and seize opportunities for peace.The European Union also denounced the attack, stressing that it violated international law and Qatar's territorial integrity, while warning that it could escalate violence in the region. EU affirmed its full solidarity with Qatar, an important strategic partner, and urged all sides to avoid further escalation in Gaza.In Ottawa, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said that Canada was reassessing its relations with Israel following the attack on Qatar. She described the strike as unacceptable, particularly given Qatar's mediation efforts for peace in the Middle East.China strongly condemned the Israeli attack, expressing concern that the strike could further escalate regional tensions and criticising actions that undermine ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Sweden, Belarus, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Austria, South Korea, and the Republic of Congo also issued separate condemnations, describing the attack as an obstacle to diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, as well as a violation of Qatar’s territorial integrity and international law.Organisation of Islamic Co-operation and Muslim World League likewise condemned the Israeli aggression, warning that it posed a serious threat to regional security and stability. Both organisations called on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to hold Israel accountable and ensure compliance with international law and UN resolutions.International Union of Muslim Scholars, African Union, and Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) also strongly denounced the attack, warning that it could further destabilise an already fragile Middle East.These widespread reactions from Arab, Islamic, and international actors underscore the strength and resilience of Qatar's strategic relationships, built on mutual respect, and highlight the country's prominent and respected role in key regional and international affairs.