Doha: The emergency Arab-Islamic summit will be held in Doha on Monday, following the aftermath of the recent Israeli attack that targeted residential compounds of several leaders of the Hamas movement in the capital, Doha, on September 9. The attack represented a flagrant violation of Qatar's sovereignty and a direct threat to regional security and stability. Hopes are high that the summit will produce a unified stance to put an end to Israeli aggression and push the international community to bear its responsibilities in confronting such attacks.
According to Qatar News Agency, this summit comes at a critical moment when crises in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria intersect with stalled international efforts to revive ceasefire initiatives. Observers believe that the targeting of Doha was not an isolated incident but reflects an Israeli policy aimed at expanding the scope of escalation, increasing the need for a collective Arab and Islamic response capable of deterring further attacks and safeguarding regional stability.
The attack triggered widespread condemnation from capitals and regional and international organizations, which regarded it as a blatant violation of international law and a setback to efforts aimed at achieving peace in the Middle East. These reactions are expected to resonate at the summit, providing a foundation for a stronger collective position against Israeli aggression and preventing its recurrence.
In this context, several Tunisian political analysts and experts emphasize that the summit holds exceptional significance as it convenes at a time when it is essential to unite Arab and Islamic positions on the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people and its ongoing violations of the sovereignty of states.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), political analyst Slaheddine Jourchi asserted that the attack on Qatar constitutes a clear violation of international laws, diplomatic norms, and state-to-state relations. He emphasized that the assault was part of Israel's broader strategy to derail negotiations and continue its assault on Gaza without external constraints or oversight.
He further noted that the Israeli entity Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to keep the war going, regardless of its costs or consequences, disregarding international laws and the potential isolation that this approach could lead to.
Speaking about the upcoming summit, Jourchi highlighted its special importance both symbolically and politically. It would deepen Israel's international isolation while simultaneously holding Arab and Muslim leaders accountable for how they address such a serious attack.
He clarified that the targeting of Qatar, a sovereign state that has played a pivotal role in mediation and conflict resolution, sends a message that extends beyond Doha, implying that any country could potentially be the target of Israeli attacks in the future.
Jourchi pointed out that what happened in Qatar should not be viewed as an isolated incident, but rather as part of an Israeli expansionist policy that embraces the idea of a "greater state" and continues to reject the demarcation of its borders. This is evident in Israel's repeated attacks on Lebanon and Syria, its strained relations with Egypt and Yemen, and its declared threats against Turkiye.
He added that the emergency summit represents a serious opportunity to shift the approach toward dealing with this reality. The issue now goes beyond mediation or merely supporting the Palestinians. It requires a new collective approach that takes into account the grave nature of the Israeli project and its implications for the security and stability of the entire region.
Jourchi concluded by emphasizing that an awareness of the gravity of this phase and the political will to address it are the essential conditions for building an Arab and Islamic stance capable of confronting this aggressive policy and putting an end to it.
For his part, the pundit Mohammed Bouaoud told QNA that convening the emergency Arab-Islamic summit represents a necessary step following the unexpected Israeli aerial raid, particularly as Qatar continues to play a pivotal role in mediating to halt the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians.
The attendance of Arab leaders at this summit in Doha sends a clear message to the US Administration, before any other party, that Gulf security is an integral part of Arab security and that regional states will not allow any country to face threats alone, he underlined.
Bouaoud added that the expectations from this summit include issuing a statement that reflects the magnitude of the aggression Doha incurred and seriously addresses the current regional challenges, especially amid fluctuations in regional and international security and the risks imposed by Israel's aggressive policies on the stability of the region.
He stressed that many Arab nations, particularly the Gulf ones, hope the summit will contribute to curbing Israeli arrogance and consolidating the region's defensive posture, thereby enhancing the capacity to face future assaults and safeguarding the security and stability of the peoples of the region.
The Israeli aggression constitutes a blatant violation of all moral, humanitarian, and internationally recognized norms. It was not merely a state-terror act against a Hamas delegation but also an explicit assault and encroachment upon Qatari sovereignty. The attack carries a series of clear political and geopolitical messages, said Tunisian expert in international relations Ibrahim Al Rifai.
He explained that Netanyahu's government seeks to deliver messages to multiple parties, asserting that the occupying state, through a long-term policy of supremacy in the region, disregards the sovereignty of all Arab and Islamic countries. It aims to cement its position as the dominant power in the greater Middle East, in which the contours of Greater Israel should be realized according to specific Zionist objectives, foremost among them preventing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Accordingly, the Qatari leadership can pursue several options, including filing legal cases against the political and military leadership and the perpetrators before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and lodging an urgent complaint with the UN Security Council to hold the Israeli entity accountable through all available legal and judicial avenues.
Al Rifai also highlighted that curbing the risks posed by Israel's objectives and pursuing all available legal and political options should be part of the broader agenda of upcoming Arab-Islamic meetings, while ramping up Arab-Arab, Arab-Islamic, and global coordination to pressure for an end to the massacres and genocide in Gaza and Palestine generally and to reinforce international recognition of Palestinian rights, primarily recognition of a fully sovereign Palestinian state over its territories.
He pointed out that the coming days will witness one of the pivotal milestones in advancing this objective during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, considering it a key entry point to ensuring regional and global security, stability, and peace.
Convening this summit is highly significant following the Israeli assault on members of the Hamas negotiation delegation in Doha, which was a clear violation of Qatar's sovereignty, which played a pivotal role in mediating between Israel and Hamas, especially as the delegation was engaged in negotiations under Qatari auspices, highlighted political researcher and writer Nizar Makni.
Makni added that the summit hosted by Doha comes at a critical time to consider unified measures that Arab and Muslim leaders can take. He stressed that the position should go far beyond mere condemnation to consolidate positions toward international pressure and escalation of measures, including imposing economic sanctions on Israel to halt the Gaza genocide and to stop its violations of international law and assaults on the sovereignty of Arab and Islamic states.
The Doha Summit embodies the collective will of the Arab and Islamic nations and confirms Qatar's pivotal role as a cornerstone of mediation and a driving force toward establishing peace and stability in the region.
The summit reflects a firm understanding that confronting Israeli violations requires a unified and effective stance, reinforcing the sovereignty of Arab and Islamic states, defending Palestinian rights, and asserting that regional security can only be achieved through cohesive collective will.
It also represents a strategic step toward shaping a decisive Arab-Islamic position capable of sending a clear message to the international community that any aggression against a sovereign state or any encroachment on the rights of the Palestinian people will not go unaccounted for and that strengthening Arab-Islamic coordination is the actual guarantor of regional security and stability, protecting the future of its peoples from any potential threats.