UNHRC to hold urgent debate on Israeli airstrike on Qatar

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold an urgent debate in Geneva on Tuesday regarding Israel's September 9 airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, the Council announced on Monday.

Hamas said five of its members were killed in the attack, though its leadership was reportedly unharmed. The strike has prompted U.S.-aligned Gulf Arab states to close ranks, heightening tensions in ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations in 2020.

The debate was requested by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states, and by Kuwait on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The request came as leaders of Arab and Islamic states were meeting in Doha on Monday, where they were expected to warn that Israel's attack on Qatar, along with other "hostile acts," threatens coexistence and efforts to normalize relations, according to a draft resolution from the gathering.

Tuesday's urgent debate will mark the 10th of its kind at the UNHRC since its establishment in 2006.