Qatar on Monday prepared to host a high-level summit in Doha in response to last week’s Israeli strike on Hamas leaders, aiming to rally Arab and Islamic nations behind efforts to restrain Israel as the war in Gaza drags on.
The summit comes despite Qatar’s role as a key mediator in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas — a role Doha has pledged to continue even after the assault.
Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 abducted, Israel has expanded its retaliatory strikes across Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Syria, Qatar and Yemen. More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, about half of them women and children, according to local health officials. The widening conflict has fueled anger across the region and deepened doubts about U.S. security guarantees in the Gulf.
“It is time for the international community to stop applying double standards and punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed,” Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Sunday.
Analysts note that while assembling such a summit on short notice highlights regional urgency, it remains unclear whether it will lead to stronger measures against Israel, such as diplomatic downgrades, economic restrictions, or airspace limitations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who traveled to Doha for the meeting, accused Israel of attacking “many Islamic countries, including Qatar, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Yemen,” while criticizing U.S. and European support for Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed the sentiment, writing on X that “Iran stands with Qatar and indeed all Muslim brothers and sisters.” Neither mentioned Iran’s own strike on Qatar earlier this year.
Qatar, which has hosted Hamas’ political office for years at Washington’s request, remains central to back-channel talks. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Hamas leaders in Doha could be targeted.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated Washington’s support for Qatar, calling it “a great ally” facing unique challenges due to its strategic location. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Israel on Monday for talks with Netanyahu, focusing on the attack on Qatar and Israel’s planned offensive in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu faces mounting public pressure over the fate of 48 hostages still held in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
