"Unite Now or Fall Next!": Arab Leaders Condemn Israel After Doha Attack
Arab and Muslim nations demand action against Israel following shocking Qatar strike.
In a fiery emergency summit in Doha on Monday, leaders from nearly 60 Arab and Muslim countries united in outrage over Israel's deadly strike on Hamas officials in Qatar last week. The joint session of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation called for a sweeping review of ties with Israel, including diplomatic and economic cuts, legal actions, and even suspending its UN membership.
The attack, which killed six people but spared top Hamas negotiators, has ignited fears that Israel is sabotaging Gaza ceasefire talks. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani blasted the move as a deliberate attempt to "thwart negotiations," warning that assassinating mediators shows bad faith. "Whoever works to assassinate the party he's negotiating with intends to derail the process," he declared.
High-profile attendees included Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas. Pezeshkian, fresh from Iran's June clash with Israel that included strikes on a US base in Qatar, urged unity: "Tomorrow, it could be any Arab or Islamic capital. The choice is clear. We must unite."
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Egypt's President Abdelfattah al-Sisi, whose nation was the first Arab state to recognize Israel, cautioned that the Doha incident "obstructs new peace deals and even jeopardizes existing ones." Erdogan labeled Israel's actions a "terrorist mentality," while the Gulf Cooperation Council pressed the US to curb its ally.
Nations like the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco—Abraham Accords signatories from five years ago—sent senior reps instead of leaders, signaling strained relations. The summit piled pressure on Israel amid the Gaza humanitarian crisis, with calls for Washington to leverage its influence.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Qatar Tuesday, vowing to reaffirm "America's full support for Qatar's security" after the White House pledged unwavering backing for Israel's anti-Hamas campaign. The strike has tested US-Gulf ties, especially with key assets like the massive Al Udeid base in Qatar.
Hamas confirmed its officials survived, but the incident has drawn global condemnation, highlighting escalating tensions in the region.
