By Palesa Nguqu
South Africa on Wednesday condemned an Israeli military strike in Doha, Qatar, as an “illegal and unprovoked attack”, joining a chorus of international criticism over the operation targeting Hamas leaders that reportedly failed to eliminate its intended targets.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) struck a civilian building in Doha’s Legtaifiya area on Tuesday, claiming it housed senior Hamas Political Bureau members.
The attack killed six people, according to Doha News — five Hamas members and an Internal Security Force officer, but allegedly missed the Hamas leaders.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) issued a statement calling the strike a “blatant violation of international law, breaching the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity” and protections for civilians under the United Nations Charter.
DIRCO highlighted Qatar’s role as a mediator in Gaza ceasefire negotiations, adding that the attack undermined efforts to secure a truce and release hostages held by Hamas.
“This flagrant violation… comes against the background of the Government of Qatar playing a prominent role as facilitator,” the statement said, extending support to Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
DIRCO said South Africa called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to enable “negotiations to a just peace”.
The strike has drawn sharp rebukes globally, with U.S. President Donald Trump expressing frustration, stating he was “very unhappy about every aspect” of the attack and “not thrilled” as it did not advance U.S. or Israeli goals.
South Africa’s condemnation reflects its stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza, where over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack in Israel.
That attack led to the killing of 1200 people and the taking of 250 hostages. Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, but numbers are unclear as to how many are alive.
Pretoria’s 2023 genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice has deepened tensions with the U.S.
Since the Doha strike, Pakistan and Algeria have pushed for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. According to AFP, that meeting is set for Wednesday night.
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