Doha: Qatar’s Prime Minister has called upon the international community to reject double standards and hold Israel accountable after a significant strike on Hamas members in Doha. The attack, which even drew condemnation from President Donald Trump, has prompted an emergency summit. In a show of support for Israel, Washington sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the region.
According to France24.com, the emergency gathering of Arab and Islamic leaders on Monday aims to demonstrate unity among Gulf countries and increase pressure on Israel. Israel faces growing demands to end the war and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas arrived in Doha on Sunday for the summit, while it remains uncertain if Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will attend, despite his recent visit to Qatar.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, stated that the meeting will consider “a draft resolution on the Israeli attack on the State of Qatar.” Elham Fakhro, a fellow at Harvard’s Middle East Initiative, suggested that Gulf states might use the summit to urge Washington to restrain Israel and seek stronger U.S. security guarantees, given that Israel’s actions have exposed the inadequacy of current assurances.
Middle East lecturer Karim Bitar from Paris’s Sciences Po University described the summit as a “litmus test” for Arab and Muslim leaders. He emphasized that many constituents are “sick and tired of the old-style communiques” and expect a significant message to be sent to both Israel and the United States.
Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. military base in the region, plays a vital mediation role in the Israel-Hamas conflict alongside the United States and Egypt. Sheikh Mohammed, the Qatari Prime Minister, recently had dinner with President Trump during a visit to the United States.
Hamas politburo member Bassem Naim expressed hope that the summit would result in “a decisive and unified Arab-Islamic position,” along with “clear and specific measures” concerning Israel and the ongoing conflict.