ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday condemned an Israeli airstrike on Doha as a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty and called for urgent Muslim unity in response to what he described as a growing pattern of Israeli provocations in the region.
Sharif made the remarks during a day-long visit to Qatar, where he met Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in the wake of a deadly Israeli raid on a residential building in the Qatari capital on September 9. The strike, which Israel claims targeted Hamas operatives, killed at least six people — including a Qatari security official — and has drawn international condemnation.
“The prime minister emphasized that Israel’s brazen aggression must be stopped and stressed that the Muslim ummah needs unity in the face of Israeli provocations,” read a statement from Sharif’s office following his meeting with the Qatari leader.
Calling the attack an “open violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and regional integrity,” Sharif pledged Pakistan’s full support to Doha and praised its “responsible and constructive” role in efforts to mediate a ceasefire and hostage negotiations in Gaza.
Qatar, which has hosted Hamas’s political leadership and played a central role in regional diplomacy, described the Israeli strike as a “criminal attack” and an act of “state terrorism.” Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the assault had “killed any hope” of reviving hostage negotiations and confirmed that Doha was reassessing its role as mediator.
Sharif said Pakistan had joined Qatar in requesting an emergency session of the UN Security Council over the incident. He also welcomed Doha’s decision to host an extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit on September 15 and offered Pakistan’s readiness to co-sponsor and co-convene the meeting through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The summit is expected to chart a collective response to Israeli actions, which Sharif warned were aimed at destabilizing the region and sabotaging humanitarian diplomacy.
The ongoing war in Gaza, triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023, has fueled widespread regional unrest. According to Palestinian health officials, over 64,600 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began.
