Fifty Arab leaders host emergency summit in Qatar over Israel’s ‘treacherous’ Doha bombing | EUROtoday

Fifty leaders from throughout the Arab and Islamic world gathered in Qatar’s capital for an emergency assembly in an “unprecedented show of unity” in opposition to Israel’s shock bombing of the Gulf state final week, as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned additional strikes could also be on the horizon.

Israel bombed Doha on 9 September, concentrating on Hamas militant leaders who, in accordance with Qatar, had been in its capital to debate Donald Trump’s newest ceasefire proposal for Gaza. The air raid, which was performed with out prior data of both the US or Qatar, marked a major escalation of Israeli army motion in a area already shaken by battle because the Hamas-led 7 October assaults that ignited the Gaza warfare.

Qatar, a key mediator and host of talks for Gaza, can be the house of Washington’s largest base within the Middle East.

The more and more alarmed bloc of leaders convened within the Gulf state on Monday, together with –unusually – Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Emirati president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, whose international locations have up to now boycotted Qatar over diplomatic disputes.

The goal was to hammer out a joint plan of motion, Qatari officers informed The Independentas Doha is looking for authorized recourse and the suspension of Israel’s membership within the United Nations.

Qatar’s ruling emir opened the summit with a blistering condemnation of Israel, describing it as “cowardly and treacherous” and accusing it of caring little for the hostages in Gaza – as an alternative working solely to “ensure Gaza is no longer liveable”.

“If Israel wishes to assassinate Hamas leaders, why then engage in negotiations?” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani stated in an unusually fiery speech. “If they wish to insist on the liberation of hostages, why then do they assassinate all negotiators?”

“There is no room to deal with such a party that is cowardly and treacherous,” he added. “Those who work consistently to assassinate the parties involved in these negotiations will certainly do everything to ensure the failure of these negotiations. When they claim that they seek the liberation of hostages, that is a mere lie.”

Later, Qatar’s prime minister and overseas minster Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated: “It is time for the international community to stop applying double standards and punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed.”

The Qatari premier had held a closed-door assembly and later dinner with President Trump, and vice-president JD Vance the week prior in Washington, DC. The Independent understands that Qatar acquired assurances from the US that such an incident “will not happen again on Qatari soil”.

But Mr Netanyahu, seemingly unperturbed by the summit or these assurances, appeared to trace at additional airstrikes.

In a joint press convention with US secretary of state Marco Rubio – who was visiting Jerusalem on Monday and is because of journey to Qatar on Tuesday – Mr Netanyahu appeared to double down on Israel’s actions.

There had been no indicators of US frustration or annoyance with Israel’s newest strikes, though Mr Trump had made clear his displeasure with Israel’s unilateral strike on Hamas.

Asked about whether or not Israel would take into account bombing Hamas operatives in different sovereign international locations once more, the prime minister stated that Israel follows the precept “that terrorists should not have immunity, wherever they are”.

The raid, he added, carried “one central message: you can hide, you can run, but we will get you.”

He has beforehand warned Qatar and “all nations who harbour terrorists” that: “You either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will.”

Qatar’s prime diplomats informed The Independent that the Gulf state, as a key mediator within the bloody battle, had repeatedly been requested by each Israel and the US to host talks and negotiating groups from all sides together with, after all, Hamas.

In Doha, officers stated that Monday’s summit represented “an unprecedented show of unity from across the Arab and Muslim world – both in support of Qatar’s sovereignty and in opposition to Netanyahu’s reckless aggression”.

“More than 50 leaders from all over the world have swiftly gathered in Doha to issue this collective response. It shows the urgency of the problem at hand and sends a strong and clear warning to Netanyahu that leaders representing over a billion of the world’s population will not remain silent.”

Officials added that Qatar hopes attendees will coordinate their response to Mr Netanyahu’s actions, “including efforts to suspend Israel’s membership in the UN following its blatant violations of the charter”.

In Monday’s press convention, Mr Rubio known as on Qatar to proceed to play a constructive function in resolving the Gaza battle, saying it may assist obtain the objectives of releasing all 48 hostages nonetheless held in Gaza, disarming Hamas, and constructing a greater future for Palestinians in Gaza.

“And so we’re going to continue to encourage Qatar to play a constructive role in that regard,” he stated.

Mr Trump has additionally indicated his displeasure on the assault, saying Israel ought to proceed with warning: “My message is that they have to be very, very careful. They have to do something about Hamas, but Qatar has been a great ally to the United States.”