• Amb Asim Iftikhar exercises right to reply after Israeli envoy invokes Osama Bin Laden raid to justify targeting Hamas leaders in Doha
• Qatari PM says Tel Aviv led by ‘bloodthirsty extremists’; reminds how US never attacked Taliban leaders during Doha peace process

WASHINGTON / ISLA­M­ABAD: A rare and public rift emerged among Israel and its closest Western allies during Thursday’s emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, as the US, France and UK voiced differing views on its airstrike against Qatar.

For the first time in recent memory, the US joined all 15 Security Council members in condemning the strike.

Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea described the operation as “counterproductive” and said it “does not advance Israel or America’s goals“, while emphasizing the importance of de-escalation and support for Qatar, a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire negotiations.

For a Security Council statement to be issued, all 15 members must sign off on the text. The United States has historically shielded Israel from statements of condemnation by not endorsing them, but on Thursday, it opted not to veto the joint statement.

France’s Ambassador to the UN, Jérôme Bonna­font, condemned Israel’s strikes as a violation of international law. He stressed that “a political solution based on the two-State framework is essential,” emphasizing recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state with reformed governance.

UK ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward said: “We wholly condemn the strikes on Qatar which will do nothing to deliver peace in the Middle East, or to help safeguard Israel’s long-term security.”

Trade barbs

But Israel’s UN Amba­ssador, Danny Danon, made no effort to read the room. Instead, he underscored the double standards of those Western allies who criticised Tel Aviv’s action.

Drawing parallels to the US operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, Danon said: “When bin Laden was eliminated in Pakistan, the question asked was not why target a terrorist on foreign soil… The same question must be asked today. There’s no immunity for bin Laden and there can be no immunity for Hamas.”

He also turned on France and Britain, recalling French action against terrorists in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Mau­ritania, and London’s airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria.

At that, Pakistan immediately exercised its right of reply, with Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Ifti­khar Ahmad rejecting the analogy as “unacceptable” and “ludicrous” and accusing Israel of attempting to deflect attention from its own “illegal act­ions and violations of int­ernational law“.

“It [Israel] is an occupier, a serial violator of the UN Charter and international law, that threatens the international community, humanitarian org­anisations, and even the United Nations itself — and does so with impunity,” Mr Ahmad said. “Despite being the aggressor, it pretends to be the victim. But today, it stands fully exposed.”

Following Pakistan’s res­ponse, the Israeli amb­assador returned to the floor, accusing Pakistan and others of applying double standards.

In its weekly briefing on Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office also condemned the Israeli aggression against Qatar and expr­essed complete solidarity with the brotherly state, calling on the international community to hold Israel accountable for this unprovoked and unlawful aggression.

Qatari PM’s address

In his address under Rule 37, Qatar’s prime minister strongly deno­unced the Israeli attack in Doha. He said the attack targeted a residential compound allocated for negotiating teams, housing Hamas representatives and their families, and terrorised residents.

“It is a violation of the UN Member State’s sovereignty,” he said. “Israel — led by bloodthirsty extr­emists — has gone beyond any borders, any limitation when it comes to behaviour among states and individuals.

Have you heard of any state that is attacking the mediator this way? A state that is attacking the negotiating teams that are hosted by Qatar?”

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2025