Arab, Muslim leaders gather in Doha after Israeli attack

Leaders from across the Arab and Islamic world are set to convene in the Qatari capital on Monday for an emergency summit in the wake of last week’s Israeli strike in Doha that targeted senior Hamas figures on Qatari soil.

The airstrike, which involved Israeli precision targeting, has stirred a storm of diplomatic outrage, particularly given that it occurred within the territory of a close US ally. The fallout has also prompted rare public criticism from former US President Donald Trump, who reportedly expressed disapproval over the incident, framing it as a breach of regional trust.

In what is expected to be a high-stakes meeting, Monday’s summit will bring together Gulf and broader Islamic leaders in a display of collective condemnation and solidarity. Their aim: to ratchet up diplomatic pressure on Israel, which is already under intensifying international scrutiny over its ongoing military campaign and the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

A draft resolution, hammered out during a ministerial-level meeting held Sunday, is set to headline the summit’s agenda. According to sources familiar with the draft, the text sharply criticizes Israel’s actions, not only the strike in Doha but its broader military operations, asserting they pose a serious threat to any future efforts at normalising relations between Israel and Arab states.

Read more: Qatar PM urges world to punish Israel for all crimes it has committed

“The attack in Doha marks a dangerous escalation,” one regional diplomat said on condition of anonymity. “It undermines every thread of dialogue we’ve been working toward.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Doha late Sunday, ahead of the summit, signaling the high priority the Palestinian leadership is placing on the event.

The emergency gathering comes at a time when regional alliances are being tested and public sentiment across the Arab world is increasingly inflamed by scenes of destruction in Gaza. Monday’s summit could mark a critical inflection point in the regional response to Israel’s war strategy, and its broader relations in the Middle East.