The Foreign Ministers of Arab and Islamic countries began a closed-door meeting in Doha yesterday to prepare for an emergency summit to address the situation arising from Israeli airstrikes on Doha. The preparatory meeting is expected to shape the agenda of the Arab-Islamic summit today in Doha, bringing together heads of state and senior officials from across the regions.
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani addressing the preparatory meeting said that Israel’s transgression of international law, human principles, and diplomatic norms, was manifested in the barbaric attack and that this attack can only be described as state terrorism. The reckless and treacherous Israeli aggression was committed while Qatar was hosting official, public negotiations that the Israeli side was aware of, that were aimed at a ceasefire in Gaza.
Instead of appreciating the State of Qatar’s efforts, or attempting to maintain the progress achieved during the negotiations, Israel went and bombed the residential headquarters hosting the Hamas negotiation team. What happened was not just the targeting of a location, but an attack on the principle of mediation itself and on all that diplomacy provides in alternatives to war. The emergency summit carries a message of solidarity with Qatar in the face of Israeli aggression. The summit aims primarily to discuss the consequences of the unprecedented, dangerous and cowardly Israeli aggression on Qatari sovereignty by targeting Hamas leaders on Qatari territory.
The summit is expected to deliver a message of solidarity and to stand by it in its position that defends international law and international norms, which have long stipulated that mediators or negotiators should not be targeted. The summit will discuss the repercussions of the situation and the steps that must be taken to halt the slide in the region due to the aggressive behaviour of the Israeli entity. It is also expected to support Qatar in any measures it takes to preserve and defend its sovereignty, and represents a message to the world in rejecting Israeli arrogance.
President of Palestine H E Mahmoud Abbas said that his purpose of participating in the summit is to emphasise that Qatar’s security is an integral part of Arab and Islamic national security and that Israel seeks to undermine shared Arab and Islamic security and destabilise the region and that a unified Arab and Islamic response is essential to protect collective security.
