DOHA, Qatar: Qatar has engaged with the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as it seeks legal action against Israel following last week’s unprecedented strike on its territory, a Qatari official said on Thursday.
Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s chief negotiator, met with ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane in The Hague on Wednesday. The meeting was part of Qatar’s broader effort to pursue “all available legal and diplomatic channels to hold those responsible for the Israeli attack on Qatar accountable,” the official told AFP.
Israeli military struck a residential area in Doha on September 9, killing six people in what the Amir called a “blatant, treacherous and cowardly” attack against Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital.
Hamas confirmed that top members of its political bureau—hosted in Qatar with U.S. approval since 2012—survived the attack. However, the group reported that five of its members were killed, along with a Qatari internal security officer.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) pledged at Monday’s summit to “activate a joint defence mechanism”, the most actionable result of the meeting.
In a post on X after his meeting with the ICC chief, Khulaifi said his visit had been “part of the work of the team tasked with exploring legal avenues to respond to the illegal Israeli armed attack against the State of Qatar”.
Today, I visited the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands, as part of the work of the team tasked with exploring legal avenues to respond to the illegal Israeli armed attack against the State of Qatar. During the two meetings, I reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment… pic.twitter.com/EOaoyAFymL
— د. محمد الخليفي (@Dr_Al_Khulaifi) September 17, 2025
Last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) initiated legal proceedings against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The charges include deliberately targeting civilians and using starvation as a weapon of war.
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The ICC also issued arrest warrants for former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and senior Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who has since been confirmed killed by Israeli forces.
Gaza death toll passes 65,100
At least 65,141 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 2023, Gaza’s health ministry said.
In a statement, it said that 79 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 228 people were injured.
“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.
The ministry also noted that nine Palestinians were killed and over 33 others injured by Israeli army fire while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 2,513, with over 18,414 others wounded since May 27.
