Israeli bombing on Qatar

There has been  universal condemnation of Israeli bombing of the headquarters of Hamas in Qatar, a nation playing the role of a mediator between the militant group and Israel. The bombing constitutes a clear violation of the international law and breach of territorial integrity of the tiny kingdom in the Gulf known for several meaningful initiatives to promote peace and broker reconciliation between conflicting nations.

It is indeed welcome that Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with Qatar and condemned the unprovoked attack, although the statement did not name Israel. There is nothing that justifies the attack on Qatar, especially when it is quite well known that it doesn’t collude with Hamas, although it hosts its political leadership. On its part, Israel has accused the Hamas leadership based in Qatar of being behind the terrorist attack in Jerusalem and also cited self-defence as the justification.

Such pleas are less than satisfactory to initiate an armed attack against a nation that has no part in the conflict, nor has been unwilling to cooperate if such an exigency exists. While the United States and some other nations have legitimised attacks on non-state actors, Qatar has scrupulously avoided allowing Hamas to use its territory for any militant activity against any nation, including Israel.