Israel has defended the September 9 strike, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that it was not successful.
On the eve of the summit, President Isaac Herzog called on Israel not to neglect its relationships with its regional allies.
The attack last week on Hamas officials was broadly condemned by international leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently visiting Israel.
Among the leaders attending will be leaders from some of Israel’s chief regional nemeses, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
It also recently barred Israel from the Dubai Airshow and has reportedly considered closing its embassy in Tel Aviv.
Despite accusing Israel of “state terrorism” and calling its attack on Hamas leaders in Doha last week “an attack on the principle of mediation itself,” Qatar’s prime minister pledged to keep working toward a ceasefire.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the foreign minister of Qatar, made the comments during a Sunday session aimed at preparing for the emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, which was scheduled for Monday following the bombing last week. Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that the September 9 strike was unsuccessful, Israel has maintained its defense of it.
The participating countries’ foreign ministers gathered on Sunday to draft a resolution that would be adopted the next day. The time had come for Israel’s attacks in the wider Middle East to have repercussions, Thani, whose government has played a crucial mediating role in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, emphasized.
He declared, “This attack can only be characterized as state terrorism, an approach pursued by the current extremist Israeli government, which violates international law.”. In order to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, the state of Qatar hosted official and public negotiations when the rash and deceitful Israeli aggression took place. The Israeli side was aware of this. “”.
However, he asserted that Doha’s mediation efforts with Egypt and the US to end the war in Gaza will not be impeded by Israel’s “practices.”.
In video that was later made public, he continued, “It is time for the international community to stop applying double standards and punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed.”. “”.
The draft resolution that came out of the meeting on Sunday, which Reuters was able to view, warned that Israel’s actions pose a threat to the normalization of relations but made no mention of any diplomatic or economic actions against it. The resolution might alter prior to Monday’s leaders’ meeting in Doha.
“The brutal Israeli attack on Qatar and the continuation of Israel’s hostile acts, including genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, siege and colonizing activities and expansion policies threaten prospects of peace and coexistence in the region,” according to a version of the draft resolution obtained by Reuters. “.”.
According to the draft, which was created by foreign ministers who met before the summit, these actions jeopardize “everything that has been achieved on the path of normalizing ties with Israel including current agreements and future ones.”.
Israel signed the Abraham Accords five years ago this week, normalizing relations with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Later, it negotiated agreements with Morocco and Sudan. Although it has been elusive, Israel has long sought normalization with Saudi Arabia.
President Isaac Herzog warned Israel not to overlook its ties with its regional allies on the eve of the summit.
“With whom, despite disagreements, sometimes very deep disagreements, and even positions I strongly reject, Israel has extensive and significant ties, including important economic ties,” he said during the national memorial ceremony for the Israeli presidents and prime ministers who have passed away. “.”.
Israel “must act diplomatically and with public diplomacy, with purpose and determination, not neglecting any arena, speaking with everyone, and being proactive,” the statement emphasized Herzog. We must not sever our connections. We can’t set our bridges on fire. “.”.
He stated that Israel must not “accept the isolation our enemies seek to impose upon us.”. He did concede, however, that “Israel has never experienced such hostility.”. Most definitely not in the most important and strategic fields. With all of its might, the hatred of Israel is showing up. “”.
According to a source in his office, Herzog is primarily referring to the United Arab Emirates, even though he did not specifically name any other nations.
Several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently in Israel, strongly denounced the attack on Hamas officials last week. However, the attack has caused Gulf Arab states that are allies of the United States to align themselves with Israeli and American enemies, claiming that it killed five of Hamas’ members but not its leaders.
Members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League are present at the emergency summit. The Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that the event aims to convey the message that “Qatar is not alone… and that Arab and Islamic states stand by it.”.
Several of Israel’s main regional adversaries, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, will be represented among the leaders in attendance. Turkish media said that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, was also anticipated to be present.
Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, arrived in Doha on Sunday, the eve of the summit, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani will also attend. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, visited Qatar earlier this week in a gesture of goodwill, but it was unclear if he would be present.
Hamas, which launched the war in Gaza after attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, expressed hope that the summit would result in “a decisive and unified Arab-Islamic position” and “clear and specific measures” on Israel and the conflict, according to Bassem Naim, a member of the Hamas politburo.
Energy-rich Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup and has a sizable American military installation there, has a history of mediating disputes. At the US’s request, it has housed Hamas’ political leadership for years, giving Israel a conduit for talks with the terrorist organization.
Qatar and Israel don’t have official relations. However, the United Arab Emirates will be its focus. The United Arab Emirates called in the deputy Israeli ambassador on Friday in response to Netanyahu’s attack and his alleged hostile comments that followed.
The UAE has stated that the security and stability of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, including Saudi Arabia, are “inseparable from the stability of Qatar.”. It has reportedly contemplated closing its embassy in Tel Aviv and recently prohibited Israel from participating in the Dubai Airshow.
