Qatar hosts Arab-Islamic summit after Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha

Dubai: Qatar is hosting an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Monday in response to the Israeli strike on its territory that targeted Hamas leaders in Doha.

Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, told the state news agency QNA that the summit will consider a draft resolution condemning the attack, which was submitted by Arab and Islamic foreign ministers during a preparatory meeting on Sunday.

He said the timing of the summit underscores “broad Arab and Islamic solidarity with the State of Qatar.”

On Tuesday, Israel targeted a residential compound in Doha housing senior Hamas officials, killing five Hamas members and a Qatari security guard. The leaders were reportedly meeting to discuss a new US proposal for ending the Gaza war.

Jamal Rushdi, spokesperson for the Arab League’s secretary-general, said the summit aims to send a strong message of solidarity with Qatar and highlight that mediators should not be attacked under international law. He said the gathering also represents a rejection of “the law of the jungle” in the region.

“The summit will review the fallout and steps needed to stop the region sliding into further conflict and violence,” Rushdy told Asharq Al Awsat.

The meeting comes as diplomatic fallout continues.

Several local and regional media reports have suggested that a new Arab and Islamic cooperation framework might be on the agenda.

The summit will start with a ministerial level meeting on Sunday to be followed by a meeting of heads of states on Monday.

The summit also comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to threaten various Arab and Middle Eastern capitals with more strikes, saying the attack on Doha may only be the beginning of a wider campaign targeting Hamas leaders abroad.

It also comes two days after the UN Security Council on Thursday condemned the strikes on Qatar and called for de-escalation, but failed to name Israel as the cuplrit in the agression.

In a statement, the UNSC “underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar. They underlined their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, in line with the principles of the UN Charter,” read the statement, which required the agreement of all 15 council members, including the US, Israel’s top ally in the UNSC.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday after President Donald Trump rebuked Israel over the unprecedented strike on Qatar. Trump said he was “not happy” about the attack but stressed it would not alter Washington’s relationship with Israel.

Rubio, who will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, acknowledged the need to “talk about” the strike’s impact on ceasefire efforts. Before his arrival, Trump met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington.

Defending the operation, Netanyahu said the strike sought to eliminate senior Hamas leaders, whom he described as the “main obstacle” to ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza.