Arab and Muslim leaders will meet in Doha on Monday to issue a joint response to the Israeli attack on Qatar on Tuesday that targeted Hamas leaders.
Fifty-seven foreign ministers and representatives of the Arab and Muslim countries met in Doha on Sunday for a preparatory meeting ahead of the Arab-Islamic summit.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry said the summit reflects Arab and Islamic solidarity against Israel.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the FMs on Sunday that his country “will not be lenient with any violation of its sovereignty or threat to its national security.”
Doha will confront any threat in line with international laws, he vowed.
He described Israel’s attack as a “dangerous precedent” that demands Arab and Islamic countries to work together to confront it.
Moreover, he stressed that the Israeli government’s actions are an open declaration that “Israel has no red lines that rein in its behavior and that it is forging ahead in destabilizing any country in the world and undermining any diplomatic efforts that go against its agenda.”
“We must not remain silent or be lenient with this barbaric behavior,” he urged, calling for “real and tangible measures on various levels” to prevent more attacks, which if left unconfronted, will continue.
Sheikh Mohammed said that Qatar will continue to act as mediator to reach a ceasefire in the war on Gaza.
“Israel’s practices will not deter us from continuing our dedicated efforts with Egypt and the United States to end this unjust war,” he went on to say.
Sunday’s meeting was attended by several officials, including Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was also in Doha.
Qatari Foreign Ministry Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari said the summit reflects Arab and Islamic solidarity with Qatar against “the cowardly Israeli aggression that targeted Hamas leaders.”
“It reflects their categorical rejection of state terrorism adopted by Israel,” he added in a post on the X platform.
Five Hamas members and a member of the Qatari security forces were killed in the Israeli strike.
Several Arab and Muslim leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, have arrived in Doha for Monday’s summit. Iran confirmed that President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani will head to Doha, while the Turkish presidency said Recep Tayyib Erdogan will also visit the Qatari capital.
International condemnation
The attack on Qatar sparked wide Arab and international condemnation.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, telephoned Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani soon after the attack to express the Kingdom’s solidarity and support.
US President Donald Trump also expressed his solidarity, saying Washington was upset with the attack.
Trump has distanced himself from the strike, saying it “does not advance Israel or America’s goals” and has promised Qatar that it would not be repeated.
On Friday, Trump met with PM Sheikh Mohammed in New York. The Qatari PM also met with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The US stressed that Qatar was a “trusted strategic ally”, also joining a UN Security Council statement condemning the strike without mentioning Israel by name.
At a UN Security Council meeting Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed accused Israel of not caring about the hostages held in Gaza because of the strike, but said Qatar would continue “our diplomatic role without any hesitation in order to stop the bloodshed.”
