Ukraine Slams Israeli Strike on Doha in Rare Condemnation

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday condemned Israel’s strike in the neutral state of Doha, which killed several Hamas personnel, calling it “unacceptable” in a rare statement from Kyiv.

On Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, Israel conducted an airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar’s Doha, which serves as a mediator to the conflict, hitting a densely populated area and drawing international condemnation.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry called the strike “a gross violation of international law.”

“A strike on the territory of a state that is mediating in peace negotiations for a settlement in the Gaza Strip is a gross violation of international law and runs counter to the international community’s efforts to de-escalate in the region,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry expressed solidarity with Qatar and called for diplomatic de-escalation.

“Ukraine supports the efforts of the Qatari side aimed at achieving a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and resolving the situation through diplomatic means,” it added.

The statement was Kyiv’s first of its kind since the Gaza conflict reignited on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an incursion into Israel, prompting an Israeli military response that devastated Palestinian populations and triggered famine and a humanitarian crisis, with documented cases of NGO workers and journalists being targeted and killed by Israeli forces.

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Kyiv has expressed solidarity with Israel in the past following the Hamas incursion but later voiced its support for the two-state solution, with a statement in 2023 calling for de-escalation after a Gaza hospital was struck without condemning Israel.

Kyiv’s Wednesday statement was also a rare occurrence, with Ukraine and Russia taking the same position in condemning the Israeli strike despite Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Qatar, a US ally like Israel, has served as a mediator for the Gaza conflict, providing humanitarian aid and facilitating negotiations between Israel, Hamas and other regional actors.

Qatar has also positioned itself as a potential mediator between Kyiv and Moscow, aiding the former in the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.