Today, the Qatari capital is hosting an emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic leaders. The conference was called by Qatar after Israeli strikes targeted Hamas leaders during a meeting in Doha.
This represents an Israeli violation not only of Qatari sovereignty, but also of Arab sovereignty, exposing regional security to an unprecedented threat. Today's meeting was preceded by a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in the Qatari capital, which outlined the leaders' agenda for the day, which is expected to lead to decisions that could change Arab-Israeli relations and those between the Persian Gulf and the United States.
In an unprecedented escalation in the Middle East, the Qatari capital Doha was subjected to an Israeli military attack several days ago, targeting a residential building where Hamas leaders live. The attack, which drew widespread international condemnation, constituted a serious violation of Qatar's national sovereignty and turned media and political tensions into a direct, albeit limited, military confrontation.
Israel's stated aim was to assassinate Hamas leaders, whom it said were responsible for the October 7 attack. The attack targeted a meeting in Doha to discuss a US ceasefire proposal, killing several people.
But many analysts see the attack as an attempt by Israel to thwart mediation efforts between Qatar and Egypt, as Israel attacks those who pressure it to reach a prisoner swap and ceasefire agreement.
Egypt believes that Israeli-Qatari relations cannot be separated from the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Although Qatar does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, the two countries cooperate closely on various issues, most notably mediation in the Gaza Strip. However, the recent attack on Doha fundamentally changes this view. The Israeli attack is expected to have profound implications for the course of Qatari-US-Israeli relations.
Qatar is concerned about Washington’s failure to protect a strategic ally that has hosted the largest US military base in the region. This will cause Qatar to reassess its relationship with Washington, potentially lowering expectations of its American partner and seeking other security guarantees.
On the other hand, relations between Qatar and Israel are now at stake. The Israeli attack not only killed Hamas leaders, but also destroyed “trust” in Israel’s ability to respect rules and boundaries. The attack puts Qatar in a difficult position, forcing Doha to reconsider its continued role as a mediator, especially since Israel has begun to use this mediation to carry out attacks on hostile leaders. This will inevitably lead to Qatar's withdrawal from its role as a mediator.
Furthermore, the Israeli attack on Doha has sparked a wave of widespread official and popular condemnation from Arab countries, many of whom see it as a gross violation of Qatar's sovereignty and a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter.
This sets a dangerous precedent in international relations and threatens the stability of the entire region. The attack is not directed solely at Qatar, but rather represents a message of defiance to the entire international community.
Many observers believe that the Israeli attack poses a “direct threat” not only to the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, but also to Arab national security as a whole. They emphasize that the security and stability of the State of Qatar is a fundamental pillar of the national security of the Persian Gulf and Arab countries, and that any attack against it cannot be ignored, given the direct threat it poses to regional security as a whole.
This Israeli attack shows that Israel has become irrelevant to all international and regional rules, and that these Israeli actions reflect an attempt by the Netanyahu government to project itself as a “superpower in the Middle East“, capable of changing and breaking the rules at will.
This vision is confirmed by statements from the Israeli defense minister, who threatened that if Qatar did not expel Hamas leaders from its territory, Israel would repeat its strikes. This threat was echoed by Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations, who went further, implying that any country in the region hosting Hamas leaders would be exposed to Israeli strikes, which caused tension and a sharp exchange of remarks between him and the permanent Arab ambassadors to the United Nations.