Israel’s Doha Strike Shatters Gulf Red Line, Lays Bare the Myth of ‘Rules-Based Order’

On September 9, 2025, Israel launched a brazen airstrike on Qatar, targeting senior Hamas leaders, including chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, in a Doha residential neighbourhood. Dubbed “Summit of Fire,” the attack, confirmed by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet, marks an unprecedented escalation. It is the first Israeli military operation in a state that is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Qatar, a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks and host to the US’s largest Middle Eastern airbase, Al Udeid, condemned the strike as a “cowardly” and “criminal assault” that violated international law and its sovereignty. This act, coupled with Israel’s recent military operations across Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, signals a reckless pattern of disregarding the territorial integrity of countries across West Asia, raising profound questions about regional stability, international law and the complicity of global powers.

A pattern of sovereignty violations

Israel’s Doha strike is hardly an isolated incident but part of a broader strategy of extraterritorial military actions that flout international norms. Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, Israel has expanded its military campaign against Hamas and its allies across the region. In the past two years, it has bombed Gaza (beyond recognition), Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and even Iran, where it assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July 2024. On September 8, 2025, Israel struck Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, killing five, and intensified its Gaza offensive, ordering the evacuation of Gaza City. These actions, justified by Israel as targeting “terrorist” entities responsible for the October 7 massacre, consistently breach the sovereignty of neighbouring states, undermining the principles of territorial integrity enshrined in the UN Charter.

The Qatar strike, however, stands out for its audacity. Doha, a neutral hub hosting Hamas’s political bureau at the US’s request, has been a linchpin in ceasefire negotiations alongside Egypt. The attack targeted a Hamas delegation reportedly discussing a US-proposed ceasefire, which included hostage releases and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. By striking the delegation, Israel not only violated Qatar’s sovereignty but also sabotaged diplomatic efforts, a form of gangsterism. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the strike as a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s territorial integrity, warning that it threatens regional stability and ceasefire prospects.

Regional and international ramifications

The Doha attack has reverberated across the Middle East, drawing condemnation from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Iran, and Turkey, who labelled it a violation of international law and a threat to regional security. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry emphasised that the state “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour,” signalling potential shifts in its mediation role. The UAE, a signatory to the Abraham Accords normalising ties with Israel, called the attack “treacherous.” Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to deploy “all capabilities” to support Qatar, hinting at a unified GCC response.

But how much of this is diplomatic posturing and performance by states that have actively connived with the Israeli colonial-settler state and its chief sponsor and guarantor, the US, remains to be seen.

This incident exacerbates tensions in a region already destabilised by Israel’s multi-front operations. In Lebanon, Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah targets have killed civilians, while in Yemen, attacks on Houthi positions have escalated maritime conflicts. The July 2024 assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran, widely attributed to Israel, provoked Iranian retaliation. These actions illustrate Israel’s willingness to risk broader conflict, including with Iran, a key Hamas backer, to pursue its military objectives. The Doha strike, occurring in a US-allied state hosting a critical military base, complicates Washington’s position, especially as Israeli and American sources claim the Trump administration was notified and gave a “green light,” a claim Netanyahu’s office denied, insisting it was a “wholly independent” operation.

Legal and ethical concerns

Israel’s actions raise serious questions about the legality and ethics of extraterritorial strikes. The UN Charter prohibits the use of force against another state’s territory without consent or Security Council authorisation, except in self-defence against an imminent threat. Israel justifies its strikes by citing Hamas’s October 7 attack and ongoing threats, with IDF statements claiming “precise munitions” were used to mitigate civilian harm. Yet, the Doha attack targeted a residential area, and past Israeli operations, such as the killing of 83 Palestinians in Gaza in a single day in September 2025, belie claims of precision. Qatar’s interior ministry reported no immediate civilian casualties in Doha, but the strike’s location in the tourist-heavy Katara district underscores its recklessness.

The attack also echoes Israel’s history of extraterritorial assassinations, such as the 1997 botched Mossad attempt on Khaled al-Meshal in Jordan. By targeting Hamas negotiators, Israel undermines diplomatic processes, as Qatar may cease mediation, collapsing the “diplomatic structure” for Gaza talks. This risks prolonging the conflict, endangering hostages and destabilising the region further. Permanent war serves only the Israeli state and its western sponsors.

The role of global powers

The Doha strike exposes the complicity and contradictions of global powers, particularly the US. Qatar’s role as a mediator, hosting Hamas at Washington’s behest, makes the US’s prior notification of the strike—confirmed by White House and Israeli sources—deeply problematic. It erodes trust in US impartiality, as Hamas called the ceasefire proposal a “deception” to lure its leaders. The US’s “shelter-in-place” order for its Doha embassy and silence from defence officials suggest discomfort with Israel’s actions, yet its failure to condemn the strike reflects a broader pattern of enabling Israel’s violations under the guise of counterterrorism.

The UK, too, faces scrutiny as it balances relations with the US and Middle Eastern states. With Israeli President Isaac Herzog visiting the UK shortly after the strike, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government must navigate its support for Israel’s “security” alongside Qatar’s role as a regional partner. The Labour government’s ongoing audit of UK-China relations, which indirectly affects Middle Eastern dynamics given China’s ties with Iran, adds complexity to its response.

A dangerous precedent, possible tipping point?

Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar marks a dangerous escalation in its pattern of violating Middle Eastern sovereignty. By targeting a neutral mediator in a residential area, Israel not only breaches international law but also jeopardises ceasefire efforts and regional stability. The attack, alongside operations in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, reflects a strategy prioritising military dominance over diplomacy, risking broader conflict with Iran and alienating Gulf allies.

The complicity of the US, and the silence of other Western powers like the UK, underscores the need for a reckoning on how international law is enforced. As Qatar reevaluates its mediation role and regional powers rally against Israel’s actions, will the Doha strike prove a tipping point?

And, once again, the question is asked: what remains of western moral authority and its lofty words about a rules-based international order?

Inderjeet Parmar is a professor of international politics and associate dean of research in the School of Policy and Global Affairs at City St George’s, University of London, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and a columnist at The Wire. He is an International Fellow at the ROADS Initiative think tank, Islamabad, and author of several books including Foundations of the American Century. He is currently writing a book on the history, politics and crises of the US foreign policy establishment.

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