Italy says Israeli attacks violate sovereignty of Qatar

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Tuesday said Israeli attacks on Hamas in Doha, Qatar violated the sovereignty of a "friendly country" engaged in mediation efforts to end the Gaza war.

"The attacks have violated the sovereignty of a friendly country," that is working to stop the war in Gaza and help Israel recover the hostages, Tajani wrote on the US social media company X.

He expressed his solidarity with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammad Abdel Rahman Al Thani, and the entire Qatari people.

Tajani stressed that a ceasefire, negotiations, and a permanent truce are "the necessary path to avoid a new, even more devastating and dangerous crisis for the entire Middle East."

He said Italy will continue to support Qatar in its mediation efforts, emphasizing that "diplomacy and dialogue remain the main road to a just and lasting solution to the conflict, one that finally allows the Israeli people and the Palestinian people to achieve peace, in a framework of security for all."

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 potential 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, claiming it was a "a wholly independent Israeli operation."

The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemned the attack as a "blatant violation of international law."