Canada condemns Israeli attack targeting Hamas leadership in Doha

HAMILTON, Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned an Israeli strike Tuesday that targeted Hamas’ leadership in Doha.

"Canada condemns Israel's strikes in Qatar — an intolerable expansion of violence and an affront to Qatar's sovereignty," Carney said on the US social media company X.

"Regardless of their objectives, such attacks pose a grave risk of escalating conflict throughout the region, and directly imperil efforts to advance peace & security, secure the release of all hostages, and achieve a lasting ceasefire — efforts in which Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani plays a highly constructive role," he added.

The remarks came after Israel launched an airstrike Tuesday on senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, a move seen as a new blow to efforts for a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.

Qatar, along with Egypt and the US, has been mediating indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a potential prisoner swap and ceasefire deal in Gaza.

Israel said it conducted a “precise strike” on senior Hamas leadership, without specifying the Qatari capital.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemned the strike as a “blatant violation of international law.”

Israel has killed more than 64,600 Palestinians in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and pushed the territory’s population into famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.