John Swinney: 'Israel must be held to account for attack in Qatar'

John Swinney has said Israel “must be held to account” for attacking Hamas’s political leaders in Qatar.

The Israeli military targeted top Hamas figures in Doha on Tuesday as they gathered to discuss a US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The move, which Hamas said killed five lower-level members, risked derailing efforts to end the war and angered Qatar, which has served as a mediator between Israel and the militant group.

The strike killed at least six people in an area that houses foreign embassies and schools.

The First Minister said the attack in Doha was “without any justification”.

“It is a further escalation of Israeli actions and further damages the process for peace,” Swinney said on X.

“Israel must be held to account for this action, and this latest breach must bring an end to the horror in the Middle East.”

On Wednesday morning, Qatari workers were still digging through the rubble.

Keir Starmer previously said Israel’s attack on Qatar represented “a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty” and risked fuelling further escalation in the Middle East.

According to Downing Street, the Prime Minister reiterated his condemnation of the strike in a phone call to the Emir of Qatar on Tuesday evening.

Starmer is expected to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog in the UK during his trip to Britain.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “The Prime Minister will be meeting the Israeli president, where he’ll raise the intolerable situation in Gaza, the action Israel must take to end the horrific suffering we’re witnessing. It cannot go on any longer.”