Shehbaz joins Arab, Muslim leaders to discuss Doha attack

DOHA: The extraordinary Arab Islamic summit began in Doha on Monday afternoon as the leaders from the member states reached Qatar after the unprovoked and unjustified air strike on the Gulf State — the latest in the unending series of Israeli aggression in the volatile Middle East.

In this connection, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif too arrived earlier in the day in Doha to attend the Arab-Islamic summit called to devise an effective response to the unending and expanding Israeli strikes in the region with the Doha attack being the main focus.

In his opening remarks, Qatari Emir described the Doha attack as “blatant, treacherous, cowardly” aggression, adding that Israel’s war on Gaza had turned into a “war of extermination”.

Earlier on Sunday, as Pakistan called for holding Israel “accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity”, as the foreign ministers of the nations attending the gathering held a preparatory meeting to prepare a draft for the Arab-Islamic summit.

To check the expansionist designs, Pakistan also suggested creation of “an Arab-Islamic task force” and adopting “effective deterrent and offensive measures”.

Read more: Pakistan for Arab-Islamic task force to check Israel’s designs

In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said, “Israel’s actions reek of an unabashed aggressor that is hell bent on achieving its heinous objectives and is unbothered if that pursuit topples the entire edifice of international order. No state is safe from such an unhinged entity that defies all precepts of civilized behaviour.”

On the other hand, Monday saw US Secretary of State Marco Rubio again assuring Israel of “unwavering support” support in achieving its Gaza goals.

Read more: US promises ‘unwavering support’ to Israel in Gaza goals

Moreover, he again ridiculed the idea of recognising the Palestinian state, saying the Western nations through their recent moves had emboldened Hamas.

PILING PRESSURE ON ISRAEL

The joint Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit called by Qatar seeks to pile pressure on Israel, which has been facing mounting calls to end the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Hamas says top officials survived last week’s air strike in Doha that killed six people and triggered a wave of criticism, including from US President Donald Trump.

Earlier, a draft final statement seen by AFP warned that “brutal Israeli aggression” put efforts to normalise relations between Israel and Arab states at risk.

It “threatens all that has been achieved on the path toward establishing normal relations with Israel, including existing and future agreements”, the draft added.

Israel and its main backer the United States have been trying to extend the Abraham Accords that established ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in 2020.

Last week’s attack and Israel’s “genocide (and) ethnic cleansing (in Gaza)… undermines the prospects of achieving peace and peaceful coexistence in the region”, the draft statement said.

“The time has come for the international community to stop using double standards and to punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed,” Qatari premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told a preparatory meeting at the weekend.

Alongside Egypt and the United States, Qatar has led mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas in the war in Gaza.

COLLECTIVE SEUCRITY

The nearly 60-country grouping in Doha will also emphasise “the concept of collective security… as well as the necessity of aligning together to face common challenges and threats”, according to the draft.

Read more: Any attack on a Gulf State is an attack all: UAE

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, had left the kingdom for Qatar to attend the summit, state media said.

Among the leaders gathering on Monday are Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Meanwhile, an extraordinary meeting of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) would also be held in Doha on Monday, according to Saudi state media.

Read more: GGC condemns planned annexation of occupied West Bank

The United Nations Human Rights Council said it would host an urgent debate on Tuesday on Israel’s air strike targeting Hamas in Qatar.

Aziz Algashian, a Saudi-based researcher into international relations in the Middle East, said “many people are looking at actions, not just rhetoric” from the meeting in Doha.

“We’ve exhausted all forms of rhetoric. Now it’s just going to have to be actions — and we’ll see what those actions will be,” he said.

It’s a developing story. Details to follow.