The Taliban terrorist organization running Afghanistan and the Chinese Communist Party, who have become increasingly close since the demise of the legitimate Afghan government in 2021, both condemned Israel on Tuesday and Wednesday following a “precise strike” against the jihadist group Hamas in Qatar.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed an attack in a residential area of Doha, the Qatari capital, on Tuesday, targeting senior Hamas “political” leaders. Hamas is a genocidal jihadist terrorist organization that governs Gaza, but its most senior “political” leaders have for years enjoyed lavish accommodations in Doha, which they have used as a platform for exercising political influence in the region. The state of Israel has been in a formal state of war against Hamas since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists invaded the country from Gaza and indiscriminately massacred an estimated 1,200 Israeli civilians and committed various atrocities including mass abductions, gang rape, and torture.
The IDF described the attack on targets in Doha as a “precise strike targeting the senior leadership” of Hamas.
“For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7th massacre,” the IDF said in a statement, “and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel. Prior to the strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence.”
The Qatari government, which has served as a mediator in peace talks between Israel and Hamas and a long-term host to Hamas elite, condemned the attacks as acts of “state terrorism.” Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani decried them as “treacherous” and warned that Qatar “reserves the right to respond … and will take all necessary measures,” without elaborating.
The Taliban terrorist group was among the first entities to condemn Israel for targeting Hamas leaders, issuing a statement that began by offering condolences to Hamas terrorists and their families.
“We extend our condolences to the families of the martyrs and the Palestinian mujahideen, and we pray for the martyrs to attain the highest paradise and for their families to be granted beautiful patience,” the statement, shared by top spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, stated.
“We strongly condemn the aggression against the country of Qatar and the targeting of the political office of the Islamic Hamas Movement,” it continued, “and we consider this a barbaric act contrary to all human standards.”
Like Hamas, the Taliban for years received a warm reception in Doha, maintaining a “political office” in the Qatari capital that it used to protect its most important leaders during the 20-year Afghan War. The Taliban used that position in the Middle East to broker negotiations with the administration of President Donald Trump, which resulted in the Doha Agreement of 2020 that would have seen American troops withdraw from Afghanistan in 2021 while leaving the legitimate government intact. President Joe Biden violated the Doha Agreement, prompting the Taliban to wage a war of conquest that toppled the government of Afghanistan in August 2021.
The Taliban jihadists concluded their statement by declaring that Israel “repeatedly and with utmost audacity violates international human and political norms and commits continuous crimes” – a notable accusation from a group that international human rights experts consider among the most violent and repressive dictatorships in the world. They also added a prayer to Allah to “inflict severe punishment upon them for the injustices of the Zionists and to condemn them to utter defeat.”
While less religious in tenor, the Taliban’s patrons in Beijing similarly condemned Israel on Wednesday for targeting Hamas leadership.
“Israel’s airstrike on Hamas targets in Doha gravely violates Qatar’s territorial sovereignty and national security,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters during his regular briefing on Wednesday, “exacerbating regional tensions. This is inseparable from the long-standing, severely imbalanced stance of certain extraterritorial countries on Middle East issues.”
China’s condemnation follows years of attempting to become relevant in the ongoing Middle East conflict by taking Hamas’s side post-October 7. The Chinese Communist Party has attempted, unsuccessfully, to repair the frayed relationship between Hamas and the Palestinian political party Fatah and hosted “dialogues” to bolster the Hamas position on the war. These actions have not yet, however, resulted in any significant increase in China’s leverage as a geopolitical actor in the Middle East.
The Israeli government explained the attack on Doha on Tuesday as a necessary part of the government’s goal of eliminating Hamas, which it established as a war goal after October 7. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement following the strikes that Hamas leaders used the targeted areas as meeting areas for strategic planning and for celebrating the horrors of October 7.
“At the beginning of the war I promised that Israel would reach those who perpetrated this horror, and today Israel and I have kept that promise,” Netanyahu said. “Now much of the world, including much of the democratic world, or government at least, have shamefully, shamefully, forgotten October 7, but I don’t forget and Israel will never forget — never.”
President Donald Trump separately referred to the strikes in a statement on his website, Truth Social, in whcih he lamented that Hamas leadership had ensconced itself in Doha. The strikes, he emphasized, were “not a decision made by me.”
“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Trump stated. “However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”
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