Doha Summit: Qatar Leads Arab-Islamic Pushback After Israeli Strike
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Doha
- Sep 15, 2025
- 547
In an extraordinary show of defiance, Qatar has put itself at the center of the Arab and Islamic world’s diplomatic offensive after an unprecedented Israeli strike inside its capital killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer. The attack — the first of its kind on Qatari soil — has triggered what observers describe as a “make-or-break moment” for Gulf leadership.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned that Israel’s actions in Gaza and beyond amounted to a “war of extermination,” accusing the international community of shielding Israel through silence and “double standards.”
“The time has come to punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed,” Sheikh Mohammed declared, setting the tone for Monday’s emergency summit of Arab and Islamic leaders in Doha.
Regional Shockwaves After Strike on Doha
The September 9 strike shook regional alliances to their core. Carried out by one U.S. ally against another’s territory, it has raised new doubts about Washington’s role as guarantor of Gulf security. President Donald Trump condemned the attack but swiftly dispatched Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Israel, underscoring America’s unshakable alignment with Tel Aviv.
For Qatar — long a host of Hamas political leaders, mediator in ceasefire talks, and host to the region’s largest U.S. airbase — the attack was both a national security breach and a diplomatic humiliation.
Summit as a Test of Arab-Islamic Unity
The emergency gathering, jointly convened by the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is expected to produce a draft resolution condemning Israel’s strike on Qatari soil. But behind the communiqués lies a bigger question: can Arab and Muslim states move from rhetoric to action?
High-profile attendees include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas arrived Sunday. Still unclear is whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — whose presence would signal heavyweight Gulf unity — will join.
Pressure on Washington
Elham Fakhro of Harvard’s Middle East Initiative told France 24 that Gulf powers are likely to demand “tangible U.S. security guarantees” after the Israeli strike exposed the fragility of current assurances.
“They will use the summit to call on Washington to rein in Israel,” Fakhro said, warning that U.S. credibility is at stake.
Karim Bitar of Sciences Po Paris was blunter:
“This is a litmus test. People are sick of old-style communiqués. They expect leaders to send a clear signal not only to Israel but also to Washington — that the blank check must end.”
Qatar’s Balancing Act
The summit places Qatar in a delicate position — simultaneously a mediator in the Israel-Hamas conflict and a U.S. ally hosting Al Udeid Air Base, headquarters for American operations across the Middle East. Sheikh Mohammed met with Trump in Washington just 48 hours before the Israeli strike, a meeting that now appears overshadowed by subsequent events.
Hamas, for its part, is watching closely. Politburo member Bassem Naim expressed hope that the summit would yield a “decisive and unified Arab-Islamic position” alongside “clear and specific measures” targeting Israel.
The Stakes
For Doha, the summit is more than a diplomatic gathering — it is a chance to reposition itself as the voice of Arab-Islamic resistance while testing the limits of U.S.-Qatari partnership. The outcome will determine whether this crisis galvanizes meaningful regional action, or fades into another chapter of fiery rhetoric without enforcement.
Analysis:
Monday’s summit in Doha could mark a turning point. Either Arab and Muslim leaders step beyond symbolic condemnation to adopt enforceable measures, or the event risks exposing the limits of their unity — and Israel’s ability to act with impunity.