France, Spain and the United Kingdom condemned Israel’s airstrikes, which it said were targeting Hamas officials, in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday.

The attack is the first time Israel has carried out a strike in the Gulf state, which has been mediating indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. It marks a major escalation of unrest in the Middle East.

Both British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the strikes, warning of further escalation across the region.

“The priority must be an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a huge surge in aid into Gaza. This is the only solution towards long-lasting peace,” Starmer said.

“Today’s Israeli strikes on Qatar are unacceptable, whatever the reason. I express my solidarity with Qatar and its Emir, Sheikh Tamim Al Thani. Under no circumstances should the war spread throughout the region,” said Macron.

Spain also called for restraint and a return to diplomatic negotiations.“This attack is a violation of Qatari territorial sovereignty and a flagrant violation of international law,” the Spanish foreign ministry said.

From New York, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres echoed concerns over deepening regional instability.

“We are just learning about the Israeli attacks in Qatar, a country that has been playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and the release of all hostages,” Guterres said. “I condemn this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar. All parties must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.”

Qatar’s foreign ministry swiftly condemned the strike, calling it “a blatant violation of all international laws and norms.”

Several Middle Eastern countries — including Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt — also denounced the attack and expressed solidarity with Qatar.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces announced they had “conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization,” with smoke seen rising over the Qatari capital.

An Israeli official told POLITICO that the attack had been coordinated with the United States, later clarifying that while such an operation would not take place without notifying Washington, the official could not confirm whether that notification had occurred.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed that the strike “was a wholly independent Israeli operation,” and that the country takes full responsibility for it.

The Israeli government later said the strike had been planned in response to the “murderous attacks in Jerusalem” which killed at least six people on Monday and for which Hamas has claimed responsibility.