Trump to meet Qatari PM, UAE summons Israel envoy

NEW YORK/DUBAI: President Donald Trump planned to meet the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, a White House official said, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.

Read more: Shehbaz in Qatar, calls for unity amid Israeli provocations

However, the official did not elaborate on the timing of the meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani or its agenda.

On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates said it summoned Israel’s deputy ambassador in Abu Dhabi on Friday, in a formal rebuke of his country’s attack on Qatar.

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

Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.

Later, Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.

Read more: Netanyahu says ‘there will be no Palestinian state’

Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.

Al-Thani on Tuesday said Israel was trying to sabotage chances for peace, but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.

Read more: Qatar says mulling over response to Doha attack, Israel threatens more

The Qatari leader will also meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department said late on Thursday.

BLATANT AND COWARDLY

The UAE, along with Bahrain, was the first Gulf country to normalise ties with Israel in 2020 and has been a frequent critic of its military actions in Gaza. It issued sharp condemnations of Tuesday’s deadly strike on Qatar.

“Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, summoned the Israeli Deputy Head of Mission in the United Arab Emirates, David Ohad Horsandi,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

She used the meeting to “strongly condemn and denounce the blatant and cowardly Israeli attack that targeted the State of Qatar, as well as the hostile statements made by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu,” the statement said.

“Any aggression against a GCC member state constitutes an attack on the collective Gulf security framework,” she added.