NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday voiced concern over rising tensions in the Middle East after Israeli airstrikes hit Qatar’s capital, Doha, prompting warnings of escalation from regional leaders.
“We have seen reports about the Israeli strikes in Doha earlier today. We are deeply concerned by this development and its impact on the security situation in the region. We strongly urge restraint and diplomacy, so that peace and security in the region is not endangered,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Explosions rocked the Katara district of Doha earlier in the day, with witnesses reporting plumes of smoke over residential areas. Qatari authorities condemned the strikes as a “cowardly assault” targeting buildings said to house Hamas leaders, warning that the attack risked a dangerous escalation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed responsibility for the operation, saying in a post on X: “Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
According to AFP, a Hamas official told Al Jazeera that six people were killed, including a Qatari security officer. The US Embassy in Doha issued a shelter-in-place order for staff and urged American citizens to remain indoors amid reports of missile strikes.
Qatar’s foreign ministry denounced the attack as a violation of its sovereignty. Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari wrote on X: “The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha. Qatar will not tolerate reckless Israeli behavior.”
