No.10: UK given no advance notice of Israeli strikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar

The UK was given no advance notice of Israel’s strikes on the leadership of Hamas in Qatar, Downing Street has confirmed.

Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said the attacks in Doha were an “Israeli-led operation,” pointing to Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement confirming the strikes had been carried out independently.

In a post on X Starmer later said he would “condemn Israel’s strikes on Doha, which violate Qatar’s sovereignty and risk further escalation across the region”.

No.10 earlier confirmed the strikes did not impact the meeting between the PM and Israel’s President Isaac Herzog at Downing Street tomorrow, adding talks would focus on the “intolerable situation in Gaza and the action Israel must take to end the horrific suffering we are witnessing, which can not go any longer”.

“The Prime Minister has been very clear about that,” he added, and was engaging with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to an end.

Speaking as details of the Doha strikes continued to come in, No.10 said:”Hamas are a vile terrorist organisation, responsible for the abhorrent October 7 attack on Israel.

“But we do not want to see a further escalation in violence that risks further destabilisation in the region.

“Our priority is to see an end to the violence in Gaza, starting with a ceasefire, the release of the hostages, and a surge of humanitarian aid, leading to a path to peace for Israelis and for Palestinians”.

Asked about Wes Streeting’s comments, in which he said Herzog must answer allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide, the No.10 spokesperson said:”We have long been clear that Israel must end the intolerable situation in Gaza.”