Arab, Muslim leaders urge review of Israel ties after Qatar attack

Arab and Muslim leaders called for a review of ties with Israel after emergency talks in Doha on Monday following last week’s deadly strike^[1] on Hamas members in the Qatari capital.

The Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) joint session^[2], which brought together nearly 60 countries, sought to take firm action after Israel’s attack on Qatar-hosted Hamas officials as they discussed a Gaza ceasefire proposal. It was co-sponsored by Pakistan.

A joint statement from the summit urged “all states to take all possible legal and effective measures to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against the Palestinian people”, including “reviewing diplomatic and economic relations with it, and initiating legal proceedings against it”.

Qatar’s fellow Gulf nations, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, along with Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, were among those present that recognise Israel.

The leaders of the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco, which signed the Abraham Accords recognising Israel five years ago to the day, did not attend Monday’s talks, sending senior representatives instead.

The statement also urged member states to “coordinate efforts aimed at suspending Israel’s membership in the United Nations”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in Qatar on Tuesday, after pledging “unwavering support” for Israel’s goal of eradicating Hamas during a visit to the country earlier today.

The attack in Doha strained ties between Washington and key allies in the Gulf, raising concerns over US security guarantees in a region housing major US assets, including a major military base in Qatar. The State Department said Rubio would “reaffirm America’s full support for Qatar’s security and sovereignty” after last week’s strike.

Qatar had called for a coordinated regional response after the Israeli attack, which stunned the usually peaceful, wealthy peninsula.

The summit aimed to pile pressure on Israel, which is facing mounting calls to end the fighting and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The host country’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, accused Israel of trying to scupper ceasefire talks by firing on Hamas negotiators in Qatar, a key mediator.

Hamas says top officials survived last week’s air strike in Doha, which killed six people and triggered a wave of criticism.

“Whoever works diligently and systematically to assassinate the party with whom he is negotiating, intends to thwart the negotiations,” the emir told the summit.

Qatar’s emir said that Israel had sought to derail Gaza talks by striking Hamas negotiators in his country last week, and that its premier dreamt of an Arab world under Israeli influence.

He also said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “dreams of turning the Arab region into an Israeli sphere of influence, and this is a dangerous illusion”.

The emir said in a message later on X: “The emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha today is [a] clear message in the face of Israeli state terrorism against our region, and outcomes will effectively contribute to intensifying our collective efforts and coordinating the positions and measures of our countries, unifying our voice and stance.”

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, was among those present at the summit, as were Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

“Tomorrow, it could be the turn of any Arab or Islamic capital,” said Pezeshkian, whose country fought a 12-day war with Israel in June, at one point attacking a US base in Qatar in retaliation for strikes on its nuclear facilities.

“The choice is clear. We must unite.”

Pezeshkian earlier urged Muslim countries to cut ties with Israel. “It is possible that Islamic countries cut their ties with this fake regime and maintain unity and cohesion as much as possible,” Pezeshkian said before departing for Doha, adding that he hoped the summit would “reach a conclusion” on measures against Israel.

President Abdelfattah al-Sisi of Egypt, the first Arab country to recognise Israel, warned its attack in Qatar “places obstacles in the way of any opportunities for new peace agreements and even aborts the existing peace agreements with countries in the region”.

Israel and its main backer Washington have been trying to expand the Abraham Accords, signed during US President Donald Trump’s first term, notably courting Saudi Arabia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of adopting a “terrorist mentality”, as countries took turns slamming it over Gaza.

The rich Gulf countries also met on the sidelines of the summit, urging the US to use its “leverage and influence” to rein in Israel, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi told a press conference.

US President Donald Trump, who had dinner with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in New York on Friday, made careful remarks before today’s Arab gathering as Washington’s two powerful Middle Eastern allies face a worsening rift.

“Qatar has been a very great ally. Israel and everyone else, we have to be careful. When we attack people, we have to be careful,” Trump told reporters.

The US president initially rebuked Israel over the attack, saying he was “very unhappy” about it. However, yesterday, Rubio said^[3] it was “not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis”.

PM Shehbaz suggests task force

Addressing the summit today, PM Shehbaz Sharif suggested the formation of a task force to counter Israeli aggression and expansionism.

He said the attack on Doha was carried out by an “aggressor who seriously violates the international law”.

Pakistan condemned the attack, he said, adding that it clearly meant to undermine the peace efforts in the Middle East.

“This is a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Qatar and we express our solidarity with our brothers: the Qataris. The Israeli attack on Qatar is not separate from the other attacks, it is a hegemonic ambition on part of Israel to control the whole region and the role of mediators is always considered to be sacred and they are the hope of peace.”

He said Qatar was trying to advance regional peace while the women and children of Gaza were suffering disaster. PM Shehbaz said the whole world was “watching a massacre” in Gaza and called for it to be stopped now.

The premier said Pakistan emphasised the importance of taking urgent steps to put an end to war crimes in Gaza and to “establish a task force to take effective steps to stop Israeli expansion plans”. The prime minister called for Israel’s membership in the United Nations to be suspended and said other effective steps needed to be taken against the country.

PM Shehbaz said today’s meeting confirmed the common ideas and acts of the participants to condemn the Israeli attacks.

PM Shehbaz met several leaders at the summit.

He also held a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir present as well, according to a statement issued by the government.

The two leaders exchanged views on the situation emerging after Israel’s aggression on Doha, the statement said . The prime minister strongly condemned Israel’s action and termed it as a deliberate attempt by Israel to derail the Middle East peace efforts, it added.

PM Shehbaz said that the convening of the Arab-Islamic Summit had sent out an important message that “Muslims around the world spoke with one voice against Israel’s unlawful and reckless aggression”, which threatened regional peace and security.

The Saudi crown prince said that he looked forward to PM Shehbaz’s upcoming visit to Riyadh later this week, which would provide both sides with an important opportunity for a comprehensive exchange of views on bilateral as well as regional and global issues, according to the statement.

The statement further said he expressed his appreciation for the prime minister’s leadership and for Pakistan’s active diplomatic efforts, including at the UN Security Council and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, to express solidarity with Qatar at a critical juncture.

On this visit to Doha, PM Shehbaz was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, according to PTV News. He was received by Qatar’s minister for culture, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani.

PM Shehbaz also undertook a one-day visit^[4] to Doha on September 11, when he met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to denounce the Israeli attack and show solidarity with the Gulf state.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was already in Doha on Monday and actively participated in a meeting of foreign ministers^[5] on Sunday to craft the draft resolution that was to be discussed during today’s summit.

Ahead of the summit, analysts said^[6] the high-level moot was meant to send Israel a clear signal.

According to a Dawn report^[7], diplomats said leaders at the summit may also weigh in on pushing Palestinian statehood^[8] at the upcoming UN General Assembly session in New York.

Moreover, the UN Human Rights Council said today that it would host an urgent debate on Tuesday on Israel’s airstrike in Qatar.

The council said the debate would “discuss the recent military aggression carried out by the State of Israel against the State of Qatar on 9 September 2025’”.

Dar seeks steps against Israel to safeguard global ordEr

Earlier today, FM Dar met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

The two leaders “strongly condemned Israel’s unprovoked and unjustified strikes on Qatar and other nations in the region”, the Foreign Office said on X.

“They reaffirmed unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, underlined the importance of the OIC and the Arab League in mobilising collective action of the Muslim Ummah, and welcomed the convening of the Arab-Islamic Summit.”

Dar yesterday also met with OIC Secretary General^[9] Hissein Brahim Taha, Egypt’s FM^[10] Dr Badr Abdelatty, Iran’s FM Abbas Araghchi, Malaysia’s FM Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan, Bangladesh’s^[11] Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and Uzbekistan’s FM^[12] Bakhtiyor Saidov.

Attending the ministerial meeting on Sunday, the foreign minister called for urgent steps^[13] against Israel to “safeguard the global order”.

During his speech, Dar highlighted that the frequency of meetings to discuss Israel’s activities in the region underlines “how Israel has become a persistent irritant and a danger to world peace and security”, according to a FO statement.

“Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the illegal and unprovoked Israeli aggression against the brotherly State of Qatar,” Dar was quoted as saying.

The foreign minister listed the following “urgent steps” that need to be taken:

• Israel must be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It should not be allowed to get away with attacking Islamic countries and killing people with impunity.

• Creation of an Arab-Islamic task force to monitor the Israeli designs in the region and adopt effective deterrent and offensive measures in a synchronised manner to ward off Israeli expansionist designs.

• Pursue the suspension of Israel’s membership in the United Nations. Following up on this step would be a clear message on seriousness by the ummah.

• Member states should actively consider implementing additional punitive measures against Israel, as a means to reinforce accountability and deter further violations of international law.

• The UN Security Council must urgently demand [from] Israel, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter … an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire, release of hostages and exchange of Palestinian prisoners.

• Unfettered, sustained and secure humanitarian access to all civilians in need, and the protection of aid workers, medical teams and UN personnel in the [Occupied Palestinian Territories].

• The revival of a genuine and time-bound political process to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN and OIC resolutions.