Gulf Leaders Urge US to Rein in Israel After Attack in Qatar

Gulf Leaders Urge US to Rein in Israel After Attack in Qatar
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Gulf leaders meeting at an emergency summit in Qatar have urged the United States to use its influence over Israel following last week’s Israeli attempt to assassinate Hamas negotiators in Doha, The Guardian reported. The strike killed five Hamas officials, an act described by Qatar as a violation of its sovereignty.

In a joint statement, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned the attack and announced that its unified military command would be tasked with assessing threats and activating joint defence measures. This move marks only the third time such a step has been taken, after the Gulf War in 1991 and during the Arab Spring in 2011.

While the summit expressed strong rhetorical opposition to Israel’s actions, no immediate economic or political reprisals were announced. Leaders instead voiced support for mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States aimed at halting the conflict in Gaza.

Some Arab officials warned that reliance on US security guarantees could be reconsidered if Washington does not act to curb Israel’s actions. Reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed former US President Donald Trump of the Qatar operation in advance have heightened unease among regional leaders.

The presence of senior Gulf and Islamic leaders at the summit underscored broad support for Qatar’s mediation role in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The final statement said Israel’s actions sought “to impose a new reality in the region,” and participants pledged to coordinate efforts to confront what they described as escalating threats to regional stability.