Qatar has announced that it is pursuing legal action against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) after Israeli forces targeted senior Hamas leaders in Doha.
The unprecedented attack on Qatari soil last week prompted the Gulf nation to explore legal avenues in response, according to State Minister Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi.
The Israeli strike in Doha marked the first such attack on Qatar, a fellow US ally, and left six people dead- including one Qatari national and five Palestinians - none of them the senior Hamas officials Israel was targeting.
Qatar, which has no diplomatic ties with Israel, has long hosted Hamas leaders while serving as a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks and negotiations over the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza since October 2023.
In a statement posted to X on Wednesday, Al-Khulaifi confirmed that he and other officials had visited The Hague to discuss the Israeli strikes in the context of international law.
He reiterated Qatar’s commitment to defending its rights through legal channels and to upholding international law.
Following meetings with ICC president Tomoko Akane and deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan, Al-Khulaifi wrote: "During the two meetings, I reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to supporting the path of international justice and to ensuring accountability for perpetrators of crimes under international law — including war crimes and acts of aggression — so as to prevent them from escaping punishment within the framework of international criminal law."
Israeli officials have not yet publicly responded to the meetings.
Al-Khulaifi has been appointed by Qatar’s cabinet to lead the team pursuing legal action over the 9 September attack, which targeted the homes of senior Hamas political leaders as they discussed a Gaza ceasefire proposal.
According to the state-run Qatar News Agency, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the Israeli strike as a "flagrant violation" of Qatari sovereignty.
As an observer state, Qatar cannot directly refer cases to the ICC.
However, following a summit in Doha on Monday, Arab and Islamic leaders voiced support for Qatar and urged member states to take “all possible legal and effective measures” to halt Israel’s actions.
Last year, the ICC opened proceedings against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the nearly two-year war on Gaza, including the deliberate targeting of civilians and the use of starvation as a weapon.
The court also issued arrest warrants for former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who has since been confirmed killed by Israel.