An emergency summit of Arab and Islamic leaders is underway in Doha, a direct response to escalating pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a recent Israeli strike in the Gulf nation. Netanyahu has publicly warned Qatar to expel Hamas leaders or face further Israeli action, a threat that has galvanized regional support for Doha.
The crisis was triggered by a September 9th Israeli attack targeting Hamas operatives residing in Qatar. The strike, which killed five militants and a Qatari security officer, failed to eliminate the group’s leadership. In the aftermath, Netanyahu has maintained a hardline stance, declaring that removing Hamas leaders in Qatar is essential for releasing hostages and ending the Gaza conflict.
This aggressive posture has been met with significant blowback. The United Arab Emirates, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020, summoned the Israeli ambassador to protest Netanyahu’s “hostile” remarks. Even the United States, a key Israeli ally, has expressed disapproval, with President Donald Trump calling the attack unhelpful to U.S. or Israeli goals and affirming Qatar’s importance as a peace broker.
Amidst this diplomatic turmoil, the Doha summit serves as a platform for Arab and Islamic nations to collectively push back against what they perceive as Israeli overreach. The gathering aims to reinforce the security of Qatar and other Gulf states, asserting that regional stability cannot be compromised by unilateral military actions, especially against a crucial mediator in the long-running Gaza war.