A summit of Arab and Islamic leaders held in Doha on Monday produced little more than symbolic responses after Israel carried out an attack on Hamas officials in the Qatari capital last week.
Despite hopes that the meeting would yield a cohesive regional reaction, participants left with only modest commitments, reflecting deep disagreements over how to respond.
The Israeli operation came amid a broader campaign tied to its invasion of Gaza following Hamas’ 7 Oct, 2023, assault.
Israel has since extended strikes and countermeasures against Hamas and allied groups across the region hitting targets in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and, most recently, Qatar – a pattern that has stoked anger across the Middle East.
That anger has been intensified by the large number of Palestinian casualties in Gaza, with more than 64,000 reported killed during the conflict, and has raised questions about whether the US will sustain full protection for Gulf states.
Yet the summit exposed sharp divisions. Countries that openly oppose Israel issued strong condemnations, while states with formal diplomatic ties to Israel were hesitant to cut or strain those relationships.
The meeting coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords that formalized ties between Israel and both Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Some leaders demanded tougher measures.
“Condemnations will not stop the missiles. Declarations will not free Palestine,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim declared, urging firmer actions.
Qatar’s emir launched the discussions with a blistering critique of Israel’s tactics in Gaza and questioned its stated priorities. He accused Israel of valuing military aims over the release of captives and of pursuing policies that aim to “ensure Gaza is no longer livable.” He asked pointedly, “If Israel wishes to assassinate the Hamas leaders, why then engage in negotiations?” and added, “If you wish to insist on the liberation of hostages, why then do they assassinate all negotiators?”
The emir’s remarks, unusually forceful for Qatar’s ruler who has long acted as a mediator in ceasefire efforts, accused Israel of betraying the negotiating process.
“There is no room to deal with such a party that’s cowardly and treacherous,” he said, and dismissed claims about prioritizing hostages: “When they claim that they seek the liberation of hostages, that’s a mere lie.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recommended economic pressure, saying Israel “should also be squeezed economically, as previous experience shows that such steps yield results.”
