An Arab-Islamic leaders summit in Doha on Monday is expected to rally support for Qatar in the wake of last week’s Israeli attack targeting Hamas in the Gulf state.
Israel targeted Hamas leaders on Tuesday in strikes on the Qatari capital, killing five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer. The attack drew widespread international condemnation, including from Gulf monarchies allied with the United States, Israel’s main backer.
A draft of the resolution that will be considered by heads of state condemned Israel’s attack as a destabilising escalation and said the states opposed Israel’s “plans to impose a new reality in the region”.
The draft, which was seen by Reuters, did not mention any diplomatic or economic moves against Israel. The resolution may change before the leaders meet in Doha on Monday.
The attack has prompted US-allied Gulf Arab states to close ranks, adding to strains in ties between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel, which normalised relations in 2020.
The emergency summit, bringing together members of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), began with a meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday to craft the draft resolution.
The gathering is a message that “Qatar is not alone … and that Arab and Islamic states stand by it,” Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.