Qatar Summit Condemns Israeli Aggression in the Middle East

Leaders from the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation convened in Doha on Monday, September 15, at an emergency summit to denounce an Israeli airstrike on Hamas leaders within Qatar’s capital.

The summit, chaired by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, brought together nearly 60 countries to deliver a clear message: Israel’s actions have crossed a line and threaten regional peace and international norms. 

The strike targeted senior Hamas figures meeting under a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal, killing six people—including a Qatari security official—and damaging residential areas, diplomatic missions and facilities linked to negotiation delegations. Sheikh Tamim condemned the attack as “treacherous,” a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, and proof that Israel is not sincerely pursuing peace. 

Denouncing what he described as “aggressive practices,” the Emir questioned how a nation could claim to negotiate peace while simultaneously carrying out strikes on places where negotiations are held. He accused Israel of seeking to render Gaza unlivable through bombardment, displacement, and a strategy of undermining mediation efforts. 

Other summit attendees also spoke out strongly. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the Israeli government’s behaviour as embodying a mindset of bloodshed and chaos, calling for economic pressure and sanctions. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned that Israel’s increasingly destabilising actions threaten both existing peace agreements and future ones.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II echoed concerns of unchecked aggression, highlighting that the strike on Qatar constituted a violation of the state’s rights and an attack on wider regional stability.

The summit’s final communique reaffirmed Arab and Islamic solidarity with Qatar, rejecting any aggression that violates sovereignty and breaches international law. It condemned the airstrike in Doha in the “strongest possible terms,” calling it a gross violation of norms and threatening the diplomatic process aimed at ending the Gaza war.

Leaders urged the international community to take concrete legal, diplomatic, and economic measures in response. 

Despite passionate rhetoric, there was less consensus around specific punitive actions. Some states urged coordinated pressure on Israel, while others emphasized diplomacy, highlighting divisions in the wider Arab-Islamic world over how to respond. Still, the summit marked a rare moment of unified condemnation and pushed for an urgent roadmap to de-escalate hostilities, protect civilians, and restore trust in mediation efforts.