DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar prepared Monday to host a summit over Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Doha last week, hoping a group of Arab and Islamic nations will offer a way to restrain Israel as its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip grinds on.
The attack on Hamas leaders came as Qatar serves as a key mediator in an effort to reach a ceasefire in the war, something Doha insisted it will continue to do even after the assault.
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Israel has retaliated against the militant group and others in Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance.” Israel has launched strikes in Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Syria, Qatar and Yemen. That’s led to a wider anger by Mideast nations already enraged by the over 64,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza — and a growing concern that the U.S. security umbrella in the Gulf Arab states may not be enough to protect them.
“It is time for the international community to stop applying double standards and punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, told a meeting Sunday.
However, it remains unclear just what the summit will be able to achieve, given some nations already have diplomatic recognition deals with Israel and may be reluctant to sever ties.
“Considering the deep tensions between the Gulf states and other regional actors, assembling the summit in less than a week, especially given its scale, is a notable achievement that underscores a shared sense of urgency in the region,” the New York-based Soufan Center said. “The key question is whether … (the summit will) signal a shift toward more consequential measures against Israel, including diplomatic downgrades, targeted economic actions and restrictions on airspace and access.”
Iran, which attacked Qatar in June, attending summit
Iran, which struck Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar after America bombed its nuclear sites in June during its war with Israel, sent President Masoud Pezeshkian to attend the meeting. Before leaving Tehran, Pezeshkian noted the wide breadth of nations Israel has attacked since Oct. 7.
“This regime has attacked many Islamic countries, including Qatar, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Yemen,” he said. “It does whatever it wants, and unfortunately, the United States and European countries also support these actions.”
Writing on the social platform X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added: “Iran stands with Qatar and indeed all Muslim brothers and sisters, particularly against the scourge that is terrorizing the region.” Araghchi and Pezeshkian did not mention Iran’s attack on Qatar.
Qatar has been key in Israel-Hamas war talks
Qatar, an energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula that hosted the 2022 World Cup, long has served as an intermediary in conflicts. For years, it has hosted Hamas’ political leadership at the request of the U.S., providing a channel for Israel to negotiate with the militant group that has controlled Gaza for years.
But as the Israel-Hamas war has raged on, Qatar increasingly has been criticized by hard-liners within Netanyahu’s government. Netanyahu himself has vowed to strike all those who organized the Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023, and in the time since the attack in Qatar, he has doubled down on saying Qatar remains a possible target if Hamas leaders are there.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump offered renewed support for Qatar.
“We’re with them. You know, they’ve been a great ally,” Trump said. “A lot of people don’t understand about Qatar. Qatar has been a great ally, and they also lead a very difficult life because they’re right in the middle of everything.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Israel on Monday for meetings with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials to express America’s concern over the attack on Qatar and talk about Israel’s planned new offensive on Gaza City.
Netanyahu faces increasing pressure from the Israeli public over the fate of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. There are still 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed by Israel to still be alive. Israel’s offensives in Gaza has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says around half of those killed were women and children.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251.
