Emergency meeting seeks unified response after deadly air raid on residential compound

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Qatar is convening an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Monday in response to last week’s Israeli airstrike on a residential compound in its capital, officials said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari told the Qatar News Agency the meeting will consider a draft resolution prepared by Arab and Islamic foreign ministers. He said holding the summit at this time underscores “the broad Arab and Islamic solidarity with the State of Qatar.”

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) announced the gathering on Friday, noting that a ministerial session held Sunday paved the way for a unified stance. The OIC said the attack represented “a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, the UN Charter, and international law, as well as a threat to regional security.”

Israeli warplanes struck a Doha housing complex on Tuesday where Hamas leaders were meeting to discuss a US-backed proposal to end the war in Gaza. Five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer were killed. Hamas confirmed its senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya survived, though several aides died.

Qatar condemned the strike as “state terrorism” and vowed to defend its right to respond. The incident came despite Qatar’s role, alongside Egypt and the United States, in mediating ceasefire and prisoner-exchange talks between Israel and Hamas.

Delegates from Arab and Muslim-majority nations are expected to outline diplomatic and legal steps during the summit, which runs through Tuesday.