The African Union Commission has faulted Israel’s attack, targeting the Hamas negotiating delegation, in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Tuesday afternoon.

AUC chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, in a statement on Tuesday, called for exercising restraint, respecting sovereignty, and protecting human lives.

Expressing the commission’s concern over Israel’s strike action, Mr Youssouf warned that the attack endangers the ongoing volatile situation in the Middle East.

Mr Youssouf urged conflicting parties on the need for renewed dialogue to establish a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, stressing Qatar’s enduring role in brokering peace, mediation, and diplomacy. 

Portraying the incident as a peacemaking action, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated the attack “can open the door to an end of the war in Gaza”.

“Israel has accepted the principles, the proposal put forward by President (Donald) Trump to end the war, beginning with the immediate release of all our hostages, which have been held in the dungeons of Gaza for 700 days,” said Mr Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, condemned the attack, noting that “Qatari diplomacy wasn’t built on the behavior of countries like Israel”.

Restating Qatar’s diplomatic commitment, Mr Al-Thani added, “Qatari diplomatic mediation is part of this identity and will continue and won’t be deterred in continuing this role in all issues in the region to achieve the stability of our region and people.”