The United Nations Security Council has condemned the Israeli attack on the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday and called for de-escalation in a statement agreed by all 15 members, including Israel’s chief ally, the United States.

Council members issued the statement ahead of the emergency meeting on Thursday, which was convened to discuss Israel’s attacks targeting Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, as it ramped up its offensive in Gaza City, forcing more than 200,000 to flee.

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Five Hamas members were killed, but the Palestinian group said its leadership survived the assassination bid. A Qatari security force member was also killed in the unprecedented attack, which has sent tensions in the region skyrocketing.

Hamas leaders were meeting to discuss a new deal proposed by US President Donald Trump when the attack happened.

“Council members underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar,” said the statement, drafted by France and the United Kingdom, which nonetheless stopped short of explicitly mentioning Israel.

It also emphasised that “releasing the hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the war and suffering in Gaza” were “top priority”. More than 40 captives are still held in Gaza, but only 20 of them are believed to be alive.

The US, which traditionally shields its ally Israel at the United Nations, appeared to deliver a strong rebuke to Israel, reflecting President Donald Trump’s purported unhappiness with the attack.

Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea said: “Unilateral bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation working very hard and bravely taking risks alongside the United States to broker peace, does not advance Israel’s or America’s goals.”

“That said, it is inappropriate for any member to use this to question Israel’s commitment to bringing their hostages home,” she continued.

Reporting from New York, Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo said that diplomatic sources had told him the US “pushed back” against stronger language against Israel in the statement, which was nonetheless “highly significant”.

However, Shea had made it clear that “the US cannot and will not defend Israel’s attack on Qatar”.

“Clearly, the US still backs Israel. Clearly, the US will still 
 protect Israel in the Security Council, but this was a bridge too far for the United States,” said Elizondo.

“It will be interesting to see in the coming hours and days if we even get more clarification from the White House on this,” he added.

After Tuesday’s attack, the White House had said President Trump was not notified in advance. Upon learning of the attack, the president had allegedly asked his envoy, Steve Witkoff, to warn Qatar immediately, but the attack had already started.

‘A new and perilous chapter’

The Security Council statement highlighted “support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar”, underlining the country’s crucial role as “a key mediator” in peace talks between Israel and Hamas.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani flew in from Doha for the marathon three-hour session, telling the UNSC that Doha would continue its humanitarian and diplomatic efforts, but would not tolerate further breaches of its security and sovereignty.

Blasting Israel’s leaders as “arrogant”, he said that the timing of the attacks during mediation efforts showed that the country intended to derail them. “Israel is undermining the stability of the region impetuously,” he said.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo described Qatar as a “valued partner in advancing peacemaking” and expressed concern over Israel’s recklessness, saying that the strikes represented an “alarming escalation”.

She pointed out that Israel’s war on Gaza had killed tens of thousands of people and almost completely destroyed Gaza, noting that the situation in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, had “continued to spiral downward”.

She also noted Israel’s other “dangerous escalations” across the region, involving Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

“The Israeli attack on Doha potentially opens a new and perilous chapter in this devastating conflict, seriously threatening regional peace and stability,” she said.

‘A sign of madness’

In other interventions, Algeria’s ambassador to the UN, Amar Bendjama, said: “Israel behaves as if law does not exist, as if borders are illusions, as if sovereignty itself is a dispensable motion, as if the UN charter is an ephemeral text.”

Noting Israel’s attacks on Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and “renowned peace broker” Qatar, he added: “This is not strength, it is recklessness. It is a sign of madness. It is the conduct of an extremist government, emboldened by immunity [and] impunity. A government driving the region and the whole world toward the abyss.”

Israel’s UN envoy, Danny Danon, said Israel carried out its strike on Hamas leaders, who had directed attacks planned in the “luxury confines of Doha”.

Danon said these were the “sole targets” of the attack, adding that they were “terrorists” rather than “legitimate politicians, diplomats, or representatives”.

Al Jazeera’s Elizondo said the prevailing sentiment at the session was that “the world clearly stands behind Qatar”.

“It was widespread support for Qatar and widespread condemnation of Israel,” he said. “You also saw countries wanting accountability for Israel’s continued crimes.”