Arab-Islamic summit condemns ‘bloodthirsty’ Israel, discusses NATO-style alliance

Leaders from Arab and Islamic countries gathered in Doha, Qatar, on Monday for an emergency summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The meeting was held in response to Israel’s recent airstrikes on the region, including attacks on Hamas leadership in Doha.

Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, condemned the Israeli strike as “blatant,” “cowardly,” and “treacherous.” He said the attack violated international law and Qatar’s sovereignty.

The airstrikes, which targeted Hamas leaders’ residential quarters, killed six people, including a member of Qatar’s Interior Ministry, according to reports. Among the dead were Khalil al-Hayya, a representative of the Palestinian legislative council, his son Humam, and his office director, Jihad Labad, as stated by Hamas.

The targeted leaders were engaged in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza war and finalising a prisoner swap between Israel and Palestine.

The Emir remarked that the negotiations between Israel and Hamas were close to achieving results with the assistance of the sisterly country of Egypt and the United States, leading to the release of many hostages. He further questioned that if Israel’s intention was to assassinate Hamas leaders, then why engage in negotiations at all.

Al Thani also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to turn the Arab region into an Israeli sphere of influence, calling it a “dangerous illusion.”

Iraq’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, proposed forming a NATO-like alliance of Arab countries where an attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all. He further suggested creating “a joint Arab-Islamic committee to convey our position to the UN Security Council and General Assembly, the European Union and other international fora.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported the call for regional unity. He denounced the attacks, saying Israeli officials display a “greedy, bloodthirsty mentality.” He also advocated for economic sanctions against Israel, noting that similar measures in the past have been effective.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas urged the international community to act, calling on it to fulfill its responsibility by holding Israel accountable for its crimes and repeated assaults on Palestinian lands and people. He also called for practical measures to prevent such violations from happening again.