Arab-Islamic summit: Israeli attack on Doha undermines peace, normalization prospects

Israel’s attack against Qatar last week and its other actions threaten efforts to normalize ties with Arab nations, a draft resolution from the Arab-Islamic summit said.

The Israeli attack on Qatar “and the continuation of Israel’s hostile acts including genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, siege, and colonizing activities and expansion policies threaten prospects of peace and coexistence in the region and threaten everything that has been achieved on the path of normalizing ties with Israel including current agreements and future ones,” the draft resolution said.

The draft resolution strongly rejected Israel’s threats to strike Qatar or any other Arab or Muslim country again. It described these threats as dangerous provocations that undermine international peace and security, and urged the global community to condemn them and take firm action to stop them.

Arab and Muslim foreign ministers condemned in the draft resolution “in the strongest terms” Israel’s “cowardly, illegal attack” last Tuesday on a residential neighborhood in Doha. The area housed apartments allocated by Qatar for delegations involved in mediation efforts, alongside schools, nurseries, and diplomatic missions. The assault killed several people, including one Qatari citizen, and injured others.

The draft statement described the attack, which triggered widespread Arab solidarity, as a blatant assault on a UN member state and a dangerous escalation that exposes the extremism of Israel’s government. It said the attack adds to Israel’s record of criminal acts that threaten both regional and global peace and security.

Summit participants stressed that the attack on Qatari territory – particularly against a state serving as a key mediator to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, end the war, and release hostages – represented a grave escalation and an assault on diplomatic efforts for peace.

The draft resolution called the strike an attack not only on Qatar’s sovereignty but also on the neutrality of mediation efforts and international peacemaking processes. It held Israel fully responsible for the consequences, affirmed total solidarity with Qatar, and pledged support for any steps it takes to defend its security, sovereignty, stability, and the safety of its citizens and residents, as guaranteed under the UN Charter.

The draft resolution also praised Qatar’s “civilized, wise, and responsible” handling of what it described as a treacherous assault, highlighting Doha’s consistent commitment to international law and its insistence on defending its sovereignty and rights by legitimate means. It expressed support for mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States to stop the war in Gaza, describing Doha’s role as constructive and essential for advancing peace and stability.

The draft resolution further commended Qatar’s regional and international initiatives, especially in providing humanitarian aid and supporting education in developing and poor countries, underscoring its position as an active force for peace and development globally.

The draft resolution also categorically rejected attempts to justify what it called aggression under any pretext. It stressed that the attack was a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter, aimed at undermining existing mediation efforts to end the Gaza war and derailing genuine attempts to reach a comprehensive political solution that ends the occupation and secures the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.