Qatar has announced that it will host a summit of Arab and Muslim leaders to condemn Israel’s recent attack on Hamas officials in Doha and to express solidarity with the Gulf state.
The meeting, scheduled for September 15, will review “a draft resolution on the Israeli attack on the State of Qatar,” which is set to be prepared at a ministerial gathering on September 14, said Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, The Caspian Post reports via Israeli media.
This summit symbolizes “broad Arab and Islamic solidarity with the State of Qatar in the face of Israel’s cowardly aggression… and the categorical rejection of Israel’s state terrorism,” he stated.
Among the expected attendees are Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also in Doha but has not yet confirmed his participation in the meeting.
The attack by Israel targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital, killing five members of the group and a Qatari security officer. However, Israeli security officials increasingly believe the strike failed to eliminate Hamas’s top leadership.
The assault drew widespread international condemnation, including from Gulf monarchies allied with the United States, Israel’s principal supporter. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strike, likening Israel’s response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, to US actions after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
In a defiant English-language video, Netanyahu warned Qatar to either “expel” the Hamas politburo members or “bring them to justice, because if you don’t, we will.”
Qatar, hosting the largest US base in the region, has played a mediation role in the Gaza conflict alongside the US and Egypt.
Analysts view the upcoming summit as a clear message to Israel. Andreas Krieg of King’s College London said the strikes are “seen across the Gulf as an unprecedented violation of sovereignty and an attack on diplomacy itself,” adding the summit sends a signal that “such aggression can’t be normalized.”
“The goal is to draw clear red lines and end the sense in Israel that it can act with impunity,” Krieg noted. “Expect a sharper stance on Palestine and a harder edge on Israeli actions.”
Meanwhile, as Qatar seeks to unify Arab countries’ response to Israel’s actions, Egypt is pushing for the formation of a NATO-style Arab military force to protect member states from attacks, according to Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper. Citing an unnamed Egyptian official, the report said the idea, first proposed nine years ago but stalled, has gained new momentum following the Israeli strike in Qatar.
Egypt reportedly plans to contribute about 20,000 troops and is working on mechanisms to activate the force, aiming to ensure it reflects the populations and political balances of participating Arab countries. Morocco, Algeria, and Gulf states may also contribute, with Egypt seeking to retain the top command position while offering the second command to Saudi Arabia or another Gulf country.
The report noted practical challenges remain, including formalizing mutual defense agreements and intervention protocols. Consultations with Arab allies, especially Saudi Arabia, are ongoing, with diplomats stressing the importance of avoiding framing the force as a declaration of war against Israel. Some worry the alliance might be used as a pretext for direct military confrontation.
Originally conceived as a way to counter Iranian influence-with US input-the alliance talks stalled in 2022 without formal agreements. Early proposals even included potential Israeli participation. The renewed initiative, however, appears focused on deterring Israeli actions alongside Iranian ones, especially after recent Israeli strikes in Qatar.
