DOHA – Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has vowed that Israel’s “practices” will not deter Doha from continuing its mediation efforts with Egypt and the United States to end the war in Gaza. Speaking on Sunday, ahead of a high-profile Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, he urged the international community to “stop using double standards” and hold Israel accountable for what he described as “crimes” against the Palestinian people.
“The time has come for the international community to stop using double standards and to punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed,” Sheikh Mohammed declared. He added that Israel’s ongoing “war of extermination” aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians would ultimately fail.
The emergency summit of Arab and Islamic leaders, convened by Qatar under the umbrella of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), comes in the wake of Israel’s unprecedented airstrike in Doha targeting Hamas negotiators. According to Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari, Monday’s meeting will consider a draft resolution condemning the attack on Qatar.
The summit is expected to draw leaders and senior officials from more than 50 OIC member states. Pakistan is playing a central role, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif due to attend and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar actively participating in foreign ministers’ discussions to draft the resolution. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the meeting was called in response to Israel’s escalating campaign — including efforts to occupy Gaza, expand settlements in the West Bank, and displace Palestinians.
Regional heavyweights will also be present, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, who arrived in Doha on Sunday. Turkish media reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was expected to attend, while uncertainty remains over the presence of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited Qatar earlier this week in a gesture of solidarity.
The draft resolution seen by Reuters strongly condemned Israel’s attack on Qatar as a destabilising escalation and rejected Israeli “plans to impose a new reality in the region.” However, it stopped short of proposing diplomatic or economic retaliation, though diplomats noted that amendments could still be made before leaders meet on Monday.
The summit is also seen as a test of Arab and Islamic unity in the face of Israel’s deepening offensive, particularly at a time when relations between the UAE and Israel — which normalised ties in 2020 under the Abraham Accords — have grown strained.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit underscored the symbolism of the gathering, telling Asharq al-Awsat that the message from Doha was clear: “Qatar is not alone … and Arab and Islamic states stand by it.”
The outcome of the summit could also influence upcoming discussions at the UN General Assembly in New York, where leaders may seek renewed momentum toward formal recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Leave a comment