DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar prepared to host leaders of Arab and Islamic nations Monday in the hopes of presenting a united response to Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Doha last week. But the group has few ways to restrain Israel as its war in the Gaza Strip grinds on.
Israel launched its invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, and since then it has also retaliated against the militant group and other members of Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance elsewhere, including
in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and now Qatar. That’s led to wider anger among Mideast nations already enraged by the over 64,000 Palestinians killed during the war in Gaza — and a growing concern that the U.S. commitment to protect Gulf Arab states may not be strong enough.
“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. Significant tensions among the nations meeting could blunt cooperation — and they also have few levers they can pull. Condemnations from countries that Israel considers enemies, like Iran, will mean little. Meanwhile, the nations attending that have diplomatic recognition deals with Israel 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.”
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.
A variety of regional leaders arrived in Doha ahead of the summit, including Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
After the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites in June, Iran struck Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a major hub for American forces — a move that angered Qatar. Nevertheless, Iran sent President Masoud Pezeshkian to attend Monday's meeting. Before leaving Tehran, Pezeshkian noted the wide breadth of nations Israel has attacked since Oct. 7.
“This regime has attacked many Islamic countries," 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 and received an honor guard welcome when landing in Doha.
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 since last week's strike, the Israeli leader 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.
Rubio declined to address Israel's strike while speaking to journalists in Jerusalem, but said that America wanted to work with all its partners in the region on stopping Hamas and reaching a ceasefire in the war.
“We’re going to continue to encourage Qatar to play a constructive role in that regard,” Rubio said.
Netanyahu again added that Israel's decision to attack Qatar “was a wholly independent decision by us.”
Netanyahu faces increasing pressure from the Israeli public to end the war and bring home the 48 hostages still held in Gaza, whom 20 are believed by Israel to still be alive.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251.
Israel’s ensuing offensives in Gaza has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says around half of those killed were women and children.
The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts view its figures as the most reliable estimate of war casualties. Israel disputes them but has not provided its own.
