Muted EU response to Israel’s airstrike on Hamas leaders in Qatar

On 9 September Israel launched a surprising airstrike targeting Hamas political leaders in Qatar, escalating tensions in the Middle East and drawing a notably restrained response from the European Union.

The airstrike’s timing, coinciding with Israel’s push to demilitarize Gaza and warnings to Palestinians to evacuate Gaza City, further complicates ceasefire prospects.

While the attack prompted condemnation from The UN, as well as from regional powers like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, the EU’s reaction was limited to a single statement from the European External Action Service (EEAS) spokesperson, highlighting a breach of international law.

Neither the European Commission nor European Council President António Costa issued any public remarks, reflecting a broader silence from most EU member states in the immediate aftermath.

The Israeli strike, aimed at Hamas figures including top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, reportedly killed five Hamas members, including al-Hayya’s son, and one member of Qatar’s internal security forces, while injuring others.

Qatar, a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks alongside Egypt, condemned the attack as “state terrorism” and a betrayal of its diplomatic efforts. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the strike threatened to derail peace negotiations, noting that Qatar received no prior warning, despite U.S. claims of a last-minute alert.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who did not comment until late on 9 September, expressed displeasure, calling the unilateral attack unhelpful to American and Israeli interests. “I’m not thrilled about it,” Trump said, arriving at a Washington restaurant.

“We want the hostages back, but we’re not thrilled about the way it went down today.” He later assured Qatar’s emir that such an incident would not recur, having spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump acknowledged the goal of targeting Hamas as “worthy” but criticized the strike’s execution in Qatar, a major non-NATO U.S. ally hosting the al-Udeid Air Base and Hamas’s political base.

The Trump administration received warning of the attack from the U.S. military just before it took place, Trump said in a statement on social media earlier. Trump said he directed his envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar the attack was coming but Qatar contradicted those comments, saying that reports that it got a heads-up before the attack were false and the phone call from a U.S. official came when blasts were already being heard in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Trump assured the emir of Qatar in a phone call after the attack that “such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”

The EU’s response described the attack as a violation of international norms but offered no concrete measures or further commentary. This muted stance contrasts with stronger reactions from other global actors. The United Arab Emirates, a signatory to the 2020 Abraham Accords with Israel, labelled the strike “blatant and cowardly.” Pope Leo voiced unusually forceful concern about its consequences, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned it, praising Qatar’s positive role in seeking a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release.

The low profile EU reaction underscores a cautious approach, apparently reflecting divisions over how to address Israel’s actions amid the broader Gaza conflict.

The attack followed Hamas’s claimed responsibility for a Jerusalem shooting on 8 September that killed six people, prompting Netanyahu to justify the Qatar strike as a response to terrorism.

“The days are over when terror leaders can enjoy immunity,” he declared, linking the operation to recent Israeli soldier deaths in Gaza. Israel’s ongoing campaign, which has killed over 64,000 Palestinians since October 2023 according to local authorities, has drawn global criticism, including genocide accusations from scholars.

Families of Israeli hostages also expressed fears that the strike could jeopardize captives’ safety, adding to domestic Israeli concerns about escalating the conflict.

On Tuesday, Palestinians living in the ruins of Gaza City were showered with Israeli leaflets telling them to flee ahead of Israel’s effort to obliterate the area and wipe out Hamas, causing panic and confusion.

Sources: Reuters, EEAS statements, and regional diplomatic analyses, edited by g.g.

Caption: A photo circulating on X shows smoke rising over the Katara District in Doha.