The British, French, and German foreign ministers condemned Israel's September 9 air strikes on Doha on Friday, saying that the bombing, which targeted Hamas leadership, violated Qatar's sovereignty and risked further escalation.
"Such action poses a serious risk to achieving a negotiated deal," they wrote in the statement, three days after the strikes. "We express our solidarity with Qatar and fully support the vital role it continues to play in mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas."
Ministers urge Israel to focus on reaching a ceasefire in Gaza
"We further underscore that the focus must remain on reaching a permanent ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and flooding Gaza with aid to stop the famine," the statement continued.
The three ministers called for an immediate halt to military operations in Gaza City.
They added that they condemned the "heinous crimes committed by Hamas," which they defined as a "terrorist movement that must immediately and unconditionally release the hostages it is holding, be disarmed, and be permanently excluded from governing the Gaza Strip."
Israel struck Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday in a bid to assassinate senior Hamas leaders.
There is pessimism among Israeli officials that any of the officials targeted were killed; however, there is speculation that Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya was injured.