The summit comes amid widespread international condemnation of the attack, particularly from Gulf states allied with the United States and considered among Israel's most prominent supporters. The summit aims to formulate a collective position expressing rejection of this escalation.
The foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries held a closed preparatory meeting in Doha yesterday, Sunday, during which they discussed the draft final statement that will be presented to the leaders to reach a unified position.
This summit presents Qatar with a critical political test, given its prominent role over the past two years in mediating between Israel and Hamas. It has hosted several rounds of indirect negotiations that have resulted in only two temporary truces, without a permanent solution.
Leaders are expected to discuss multiple options, amid concerns that continued escalation could undermine any possibility of resuming negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza.
In remarks on the eve of the summit, the Qatari Prime Minister called on the international community to stop applying "double standards," stressing that "what encourages Israel to continue its approach is the international community's inability to hold it accountable."
Qatar is one of the most prominent mediators in the war between Israel and Hamas, and hosts the largest US military base in the region, further enhancing its role in the Palestinian issue.
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Iran confirmed its participation in the summit, chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian, alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Doha on Sunday evening.
In a message on the eve of the summit, the Palestinian resistance called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take "decisive positions," including activating the Joint Arab Defense Agreement, using oil as a weapon, and imposing comprehensive Arab sanctions on Israel.
For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Al Jazeera that "the biggest problem now is Israeli expansion in the region," stressing that Arab and Islamic countries must come together to find real solutions to this crisis.
The attack on Qatar came despite its mediation role, alongside Egypt and under US supervision, in indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at reaching a prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement.
With this attack, Israel expanded its aggression in the region. It launched an attack against Iran last June, has been perpetrating ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank for nearly two years, and has carried out airstrikes on Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.
