Doha: Qatar's Prime Minister has called on the global community to put an end to double standards and hold Israel accountable following a surprising strike on Hamas members in Doha. The attack, which even drew criticism from President Donald Trump, led to the organization of an emergency summit, although the U.S. displayed its support for Israel by sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio there.
According to France24.com, the emergency summit, set for Monday, aims to showcase unity among Arab and Islamic leaders and to increase pressure on Israel amidst growing demands to resolve the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas arrived in Doha on Sunday for the meeting.
The question of whether Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will attend remains unanswered, though his recent visit to Qatar signaled support.
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, indicated that the meeting will discuss "a draft resolution on the Israeli attack on the State of Qatar." Elham Fakhro, from Harvard's Middle East Initiative, anticipates that Gulf states will "urge Washington to rein in Israel" and seek stronger U.S. security guarantees due to Israel's actions, which have reportedly undermined U.S. credibility as a security partner.
Karim Bitar of Paris's Sciences Po University described the summit as a "litmus test" for Arab and Muslim leaders, suggesting their communities expect a strong message to both Israel and the United States, signaling the need to end unconditional support for Israel. Qatar, hosting the region's largest U.S. military base, plays a crucial mediation role in the Israel-Hamas conflict alongside Egypt and the United States.
Hamas politburo member Bassem Naim expressed hope that the summit would lead to "a decisive and unified Arab-Islamic position" and yield "clear and specific measures" addressing Israel and the ongoing war.