Doha:
Arab and Muslim leaders on Monday called for a review of ties with Israel after last week’s deadly strike in the Qatari capital that killed six people, a joint statement following the Arab League (AL) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Doha.
Emergency -joint session for AL and OIC brought together almost 60 countries. The summit tried to take firm action following Israel’s attack on Qatar host Hamas officials as they discussed a Gaza weapon-skin-proposal.
The joint statement from the summit called for “all states to take all sorts of legal and effective measures to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against the Palestinian people”, including “reviewing diplomatic and financial relations with it and initiating lawsuits against it”.
Qatar’s colleagues Gulf Nations The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, along with Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, who recognized Israel, were among those present. UAE, Bahrain and Morocco, who signed the Abraham Agreements five years ago, had sent senior representatives.
The Summit aimed to pile pressure on Israel, facing the mounting of calls to end the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The declaration called on the Member States to “coordinate efforts aimed at suspending Israel’s membership of the United Nations”.
Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani accused Israel of trying to scupperpe ceasefire talks by shooting at Hamas dealers. “Whoever works diligently and systematically to murder the party with which he negotiates intends to ward off the negotiations,” Emir told the summit.
Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was also among those present in the negotiations, as well as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Palestine President Mahmud Abbas.
“Tomorrow it could be once for any Arabic or Islamic capital,” said Pezeshkian, whose country fought for a 12-day war with Israel in June. “The choice is clear. We must unite.” Turkish President Erdogan accused Israel of adopting a “terrorist mentality” when countries changed to slam it over Gaza.
President Abndelfattah al-Sisi of Egypt warned the Israeli attack in Qatar “puts obstacles in the way of any opportunities for new peace agreements and even interrupting the existing peace agreements with countries in the region”.
