Arab and Islamic leaders decry Israeli strike on Doha at summit

Leaders of Arab and Islamic states gathered for an emergency summit in Qatar on Monday with fresh condemnation for Israel's airstrike on Hamas leaders in Doha and calls for those responsible to be held to account.

Israeli warplanes on Tuesday attacked a residential area in the Qatari capital, targeting Hamas leaders. The strike killed six people, including a Qatari security officer, and injured 18 others, but the Palestinian resistance group said its top leadership survived.

The attack, which came amid ongoing negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, drew global criticism and prompted the emergency summit.

Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani described the strike as "a treacherous aggression on a residential area that includes schools and diplomatic missions."

He added: "The capital of my country has been targeted by an aggression. Our citizens were surprised, and the whole world was shocked by this cowardly terrorist act."

Tamim said the attack occurred while Hamas leaders in Doha were considering a US proposal mediated by Qatar and Egypt, accusing Israel of exploiting the war in Gaza for broader goals.

"Israel is a state that works in a systematic way to assassinate the leaders it is negotiating with, while attacking the mediating country where talks are held," he said.

"The Israeli war has turned into a war of extermination aimed at making Gaza uninhabitable as a prelude to displacement."

Tamim warned that Israel is also seeking to destabilize Syria and Lebanon: "Netanyahu dreams that the Arab region becomes an Israeli zone of influence — a dangerous illusion."

Other leaders from the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the 22-member Arab League joined Qatar in condemning the attack.

Jordan's King Abdullah II called for a "clear and decisive" response, saying: "The aggression against Qatar proves that the Israeli threat has no boundaries."

Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit addressed the Israeli people: "What your government is doing in your name will not be forgotten, the crimes will not be forgotten, the killing of 63,000 people and starving and displacing Palestinian people in Gaza will not be forgotten. And this aggression on a state that has sought to reach a deal to end the war ... will not be forgotten."

He said the summit should send a message to the international community that there has been silence for too long over the conduct of the "rogue state" of Israel.

"Silence over crimes and barbarism in Gaza for two full years has led occupation leaders to believe that every action is possible and they can get away with all crimes," the Arab League head said.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi echoed this position, calling on the international community to "assume its moral and legal responsibilities to ensure these attacks are not repeated and to end the brutal Israeli war, hold those responsible accountable and to put an end to the prevailing state of impunity for Israeli practices."

"This aggression clearly reflects that Israeli practices have transcended any political or military logic and crossed all red lines," he added.

According to a leaked draft resolution cited by Arab media, the final communiqué is expected to condemn the "brutal" Israeli aggression against Qatar and denounce Israel's "crimes of genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, blockade and expansionist settlement activity."

It also warns that Israel's actions threaten regional stability and jeopardize efforts towards normalization.

The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva is also planning to discuss the strike at an emergency debate on Tuesday.

The debate, convened at the request of Pakistan and Kuwait, will take place at 11 am (0900 GMT) as part of the council's ongoing session, the secretariat announced on Monday.

The request called for a debate on "the recent military aggression carried out by the State of Israel against the State of Qatar on 9 September 2025," the secretariat wrote on X.

Emergency debates provide countries with an opportunity to make statements and raise potential resolutions.