Qatari PM calls Israel’s strike in Doha ‘state terrorism’ ahead of Arab-Islamic ‘emergency summit’ in support of Qatar

Around 50 government ministers and senior officials from Arab and Islamic countries are convening in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on Monday, to show support after Israel's strike on a meeting of Hamas leaders in the city last week.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani condemned the strike as “state terrorism” and an attack “against the principle of mediation itself,” as he opened a preparatory meeting for the main summit on Sunday.

Qatar called the “emergency summit” of representatives from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss a joint response to Israel’s strike, after Al Thani warned that Doha reserved the “right to respond.”

The small emirate, lacking a military force capable of threatening Israel, is expected to use the summit to shore up broad support for a diplomatic move against Israel.

Among those expected to take part in the summit on Monday are Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Emirati Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen al-Marri and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

The preparatory meeting on Sunday ended with a draft resolution, which doesn’t yet contain any practical steps, according to Reuters,

The draft contains passages condemning Israel for escalating instability, as well as “Israel's plans to impose a new reality on the region,” Reuters stated, citing the draft, which may still be altered at the main meeting on Monday.

Israel Hayom reported that Qatari officials have reached out to Iran and other Gulf countries to garner support for two significant measures aimed at further eroding Israel’s international standing: first, securing a UN Security Council resolution formally condemning the strike, and second, pressuring the International Criminal Court to issue another statement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Qatar will sell the Gulf the narrative that Israel disrupted regional security and reopened the door to further attacks,” Dr. Ariel Admoni, a Qatar expert at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told Israel Hayom.

“They may even draw parallels to the 2010 assassination of senior Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. At the same time, Qatar still suspects that the Emiratis may have been involved, and that the Saudis may have allowed the use of their airspace. Qatar wants to ensure that in this regional equation, the Emiratis and Saudis are on their side,” Admoni added.

On Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani said, “What encourages Israel to continue in its approach is the inability of the international community to hold it accountable.”

“The strike can only be described as state terrorism. Israel’s aggression will only lead to the failure of the negotiation process,” he added, saying it was a “clear violation of international conventions and diplomatic and ethical norms.”

Hamas sent a memorandum to the ministers gathered in Doha on Sunday, as well as to the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the African Union Commission, and the United Nations, blaming Israel for the collapse of the ceasefire talks and urging political and economic boycotts to isolate the Jewish state.