After Israeli military strik, Modi condemns violation of Qatar’s sovereignty

NEW new delhi: ground government minister Narendra Modi on wed condemned the infringement of the sovereignty of the “brotherly state of Qatar” in the wake of Israeli attacks on Hamas leaders in Doha, and said India is opposed to any escalation in West Asia.Modi’s remarks amounted to a rare rebuke of the actions of Israel, which carried out military strikes on Tuesday to target Hamas leaders who were engaged in talks on a fresh ceasefire proposal for Gaza.“Spoke with Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and expressed deep concern at the attacks in Doha. India condemns the violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly State of Qatar,” Modi said on social media.“We support resolution of issues through dialogue and diplomacy, and avoiding escalation,” he said.In keeping with New Delhi’s stated policy of zero tolerance for terrorism, Modi said that India “stands firmly in support of peace and stability in the region, and against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”.India’s initial response to the Israeli strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha was less forceful, with the external affairs ministry expressing deep concern and calling for restraint to ensure that peace and security in West Asia is not endangered.Modi appreciated Qatar’s role in promoting regional peace and stability, including its mediation efforts in Gaza to achieve a ceasefire and release of all hostages, the external affairs ministry said in a readout on the phone call.He reiterated support for resolving all issues through dialogue and diplomacy and emphasised the need to avoid escalation.Sheikh Tamim thanked Modi for the “expression of solidarity with the people and the state of Qatar”, the readout said.The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties and expressed satisfaction at the progress in the India-Qatar strategic partnership and reiterated their commitment to advance cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli military carried out the strikes against Hamas leaders in Doha. This was the first such attack by Israel on Qatar, a key mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas.Hamas said five people were killed, including the son and aide of its senior leader Khalil al-Hayya, while Qatar said a security officer was among the dead.Sheikh Tamim condemned Israel’s “reckless criminal attack” in a phone call with US President Donald Trump. In a statement, he described the attack as “a flagrant violation of [Qatar’s] sovereignty and security”.Trump conveyed his “strong condemnation” of the attack on Qatar’s sovereignty, according to the statement.Media reports said Trump learnt of the attack from the US military and Qatari leaders dismissed reports that the US administration notified authorities in Doha ahead of the Israeli attacks.Qatari Prime Minister and foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the call from the US came 10 minutes after the Israeli attacks began.He suggested countries across West Asia should come together to rein in Israel. “Today, we have reached a turning point and there should be a response from the entire region against such barbaric conduct,” he said.Qatar allowed Hamas to open a political office in Doha after being asked to do so by the US and Israel and it has emerged as a key mediator in efforts to end the fighting in Gaza. Qatar helped broker a pause in fighting in Gaza in November 2023 and a six-week ceasefire in January this year.The Gulf nation is also home to the region’s largest US military base at Al Udeid airbase.India condemned the terror attacks by Hamas in 2023 that triggered the conflict in Gaza. It has called for the cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy to find a two-state solution, the release of all hostages taken by Hamas, and unfettered access to the Gaza Strip for the provision of humanitarian aid.India has strong economic ties with Qatar, which is home to more than 830,000 Indian nationals. Two way trade in FY 2024-25 was worth $14.14 billion, and Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India (11.19 MMT worth $6.39 billion in FY 2024-25) and also the largest supplier of LPG (4.89 MMT worth $3.21 billion in FY 2024-25).