Arab, Islamic officials demand decisive action against Israel after attack on Qatari capital

ISTANBUL

Arab and Islamic officials on Sunday demanded decisive measures against Israel following its airstrike on Doha, describing the attack as “cowardly, treacherous and criminal.”

Addressing a ministerial meeting in Doha, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the assault combined “cowardice, treachery and foolishness.”

Israel has been emboldened by “shameful international complacency and silence,” he added.

Abou Gheit urged Arab and Islamic states to work together to halt what he called Israel’s “criminal war machine” and end the ongoing “disgraceful war.”

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha expressed “full solidarity” with Qatar after what he termed Israel’s “criminal violation,” stressing that the international community must take firm action against Tel Aviv.

Also addressing the preparatory meeting, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani denounced the strike as “state terrorism” and an assault on “the very principle of mediation.”

He said the attack was a blatant breach of international law and diplomatic norms, and vowed that Doha would continue its mediation efforts with Egypt and the US.

Arab and Islamic foreign ministers began a closed-door preparatory meeting in Doha on Sunday ahead of Monday’s emergency summit, which will bring together heads of state. The gathering is also expected to discuss the long-proposed activation of a joint Arab military force, an initiative first advanced by Egypt nearly a decade ago.

The meeting comes after Tuesday’s Israeli airstrike on a residential compound in Doha that killed five Hamas members as the group was discussing a US proposal to end the war in Gaza, where nearly 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.