KEY POINTS
- Arab-Islamic leaders met in Doha for an emergency summit on Israeli “aggression” against Qatar.
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The summit brought together nearly 60 Arab and Islamic countries.
- Leaders condemned the Israeli attack as a “flagrant breach” of international law and the UN Charter.
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Muslim and Arab leaders urge review of Israel ties after Doha attack.
- Leaders pledged “absolute solidarity” with Qatar and support for any response measures.
- Arab-Islamic Summit urged sanctions, suspension of arms transfers, and legal action against Israel.
- Summit endorsed the upcoming Two-State Solution Conference in New York on 22 September.
- Leaders praised Qatar’s mediation efforts and reaffirmed commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative.
DOHA, Qatar: Arab and Islamic leaders, meeting at an emergency summit in Doha on Monday, pledged firm support for Qatar following last week’s deadly Israeli strike in the Qatari capital. The leaders condemned the attack as a dangerous escalation threatening regional and international peace, and called for a review of ties with Israel.
The Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit, jointly convened by the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was held at the invitation of Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and attended by heads of state and government from across the Arab and Islamic world. The summit brought together nearly 60 Arab and Islamic countries.
In a final communiqué, the leaders condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the September 9 Israeli strike on a residential neighbourhood in Doha that killed a Qatari citizen and injured civilians.
The targeted facilities included housing allocated to negotiating delegations engaged in mediation efforts, as well as schools, nurseries, and diplomatic missions.
The summit described the incident as a “flagrant act of aggression” and a “blatant breach of international law and the UN Charter.” The forum accused Israel of deliberately undermining Qatar’s role as a mediator in efforts to end the war in Gaza and to broker prisoner exchanges.
“We reaffirm absolute solidarity with the State of Qatar against this aggression, which constitutes aggression against all Arab and Islamic States,” the communiqué declared, adding that member states would support “all measures” Qatar might take in response.
The leaders warned that the absence of accountability for Israel’s past actions had emboldened it to persist in violations of international law, thereby “threatening to dismantle the rules-based global order.”
Reject Israeli Settlement Expansion
The Arab-Islamic leaders also rejected repeated Israeli threats of further strikes against Qatar or any Arab or Islamic state, urging the international community to adopt deterrent measures.
The statement welcomed the 11 September meeting of the UN Security Council, which condemned the attack on Qatar as a breach of international peace and security.
It also praised Qatar’s “civilised, wise, and responsible stance” in the face of the Israeli assault and lauded its continued humanitarian and mediation efforts in Gaza and beyond.
The Arab-Islamic Summit participants reaffirmed their rejection of Israeli settlement expansion, forced displacement of Palestinians, and use of starvation as a weapon of war, labelling these acts “crimes against humanity” and “war crimes.”
“A just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East will not be achieved by bypassing the Palestinian Cause, ignoring the rights of the Palestinian people, or through violence and targeting mediators, but rather through adherence to the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international legitimacy resolutions. In this regard, we call upon the international community, in particular the Security Council, to assume its legal and moral responsibilities in ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a binding timetable for that purpose,” the forum reaffirmed.
They called for urgent international action to halt such practices and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to occupied Palestinian territories.
Measures Against Israel
The communiqué further urged UN member states to consider legal and diplomatic measures against Israel, including sanctions, suspension of arms transfers, and legal proceedings. It also called on OIC member states to examine Israel’s UN membership in light of its “persistent disregard” for the organisation’s resolutions.
The forum calls upon OIC Member States to exert diplomatic, political, and legal efforts to ensure Israel’s compliance, as the occupying power, with its binding obligations under the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice on 26 January 2024 in the case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The leaders endorsed the forthcoming Two-State Solution Conference, scheduled for 22 September in New York under the co-chairmanship of Saudi Arabia and France, and welcomed the UN General Assembly’s “New York Declaration” supporting the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The summit underscored the principle of collective security among Arab and Islamic nations and reiterated commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative.
The forum acknowledged the pivotal role played by the representatives of Arab and Islamic States that are members of the UN Security Council, foremost among them Algeria, Somalia, and Pakistan, in defending the Palestinian cause, in putting an end to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, securing a ceasefire, and achieving full membership of Palestine in the United Nations.
“It further values their effective contribution in calling for and ensuring the convening of the emergency session of the Security Council dedicated to addressing the Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar,” the communiqué added.
“A just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East will not be achieved by bypassing the Palestinian cause, ignoring the rights of the Palestinian people, or through violence and targeting mediators,” the statement read.
The leaders concluded by expressing “deep appreciation” to Qatar for hosting the summit and for its mediation, humanitarian, and diplomatic efforts.
Pakistan Proposes Task Force to Counter Israel
Speaking at the Arab-Islamic Leaders’ Summit, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday proposed the creation of an Arab-Islamic task force to counter Israeli “aggression and expansionism”.
PM Sharif condemned the attack on Doha, calling it a blatant act by an “aggressor who openly violates international law.” He stressed that the strike was a deliberate attempt to derail peace efforts in the Middle East and reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the action.
“This is a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Qatar, and we express our solidarity with our brothers: the Qataris. The Israeli attack on Qatar is not apart from the other attacks; it is hegemonic ambition on the part of Israel to control the whole region, and the role of mediators is always considered to be sacred, and they are the hope of peace.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza and urged the international community to take immediate and decisive action.
He said that while Qatar is working to promote regional peace, the people of Gaza—particularly women and children—are facing a humanitarian catastrophe. “The world is witnessing a massacre in Gaza,” the Prime Minister said, calling for an urgent end to the bloodshed.
براہِ راست: وزیراعظم کا قطر کے دارالحکومت دوحہ میں منعقدہ عرب اسلامک سمٹ کی کارروائی سےخطاب https://t.co/MXRI87Rnxx
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) September 15, 2025
PM Shehbaz emphasised the need for swift and concrete measures to halt the war crimes being committed in Gaza. He reiterated Pakistan’s call for the formation of a task force to develop and implement effective strategies to stop Israel’s expansionist agenda.
He went further to propose the suspension of Israel’s membership in the United Nations, stressing that additional firm actions must be taken to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law.
Outlining urgent steps, Shehbaz said Israel must be held accountable for war crimes, its UN membership suspended, and stronger measures adopted by Arab and Islamic countries. He urged the UN Security Council to invoke Chapter 7 of the UN Charter for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, along with guaranteed humanitarian access.
“Above all, a just and lasting two-state solution must be achieved with the creation of an independent Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds as its capital,” the prime minister added.
Amir of Qatar: Israel Sabotaging Peace Process
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed leaders to Doha and condemned Israel’s actions as “a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He said Israel had undermined the peace process by targeting Hamas negotiators in Doha.
The Qatari Amir accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians and warned that its “Greater Israel” agenda posed a grave threat to global peace.
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told a summit of Arab countries that Israel’s attack on Hamas negotiators in Doha proves Israel is lying when it says it seeks the liberation of captives held by Hamas in Gaza. He said the true objective is to make Gaza unliveable. pic.twitter.com/cLONQJGBUq
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 15, 2025
He called Israel’s claims about peaceful hostage releases “false,” stressing that Tel Aviv had crossed every limit of crimes against humanity.
Arab League: ‘Enough is Enough’
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit declared that the world could no longer remain silent. “This rogue state’s bullying must end,” he said.
He warned that silence over Israeli crimes weakened the global order and emboldened Israel to believe it could act without consequence.
“Israel is spreading destruction, bloodshed and hunger across the region, dragging us back to an age of darkness,” he added.
OIC Expresses Full Solidarity with Qatar
OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha condemned the violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, saying the summit was an opportunity to adopt a united stand.
He urged Muslim nations to take firm decisions against Israel and called on the UN Security Council to ensure accountability.
He reaffirmed OIC’s commitment to the two-state solution and international conferences for Palestine’s cause, saying the summit’s outcome should strengthen Arab and Islamic unity.
Erdogan: ‘No Impunity for Israeli Crimes’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned Israel’s expansionist agenda, warning it posed risks not only for the Middle East but also for global peace.
He said Israel’s belief that it faced no accountability had fuelled its genocide of Palestinians.
“No concession can be given to its aggression and crimes,” Erdogan declared.
He stressed that Israel had now even targeted mediating countries, including Qatar.
Egypt: Red Lines Crossed
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi thanked Qatar for convening the summit, insisting Israel had “crossed all red lines.”
He said the region was facing an extraordinary crisis and called Israel’s actions “a deliberate attempt to destroy peace.”
“Crimes against humanity cannot be exempted,” he said, warning that oppression and violence would never bring stability.
Iraq Proposes NATO-Style Defence Pact
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani proposed creating a NATO-style collective defence system for Arab and Islamic states, where an attack on one would be considered an attack on all.
He urged the formation of a joint committee to represent a unified stance at the UN Security Council and other international platforms. He said the Israeli strike on Qatar was “a blatant violation of basic human principles” and demanded a comprehensive roadmap for an immediate ceasefire.
Abbas: Stop Genocide, Deliver Urgent Aid
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israeli war crimes had “crossed every limit.”
He stressed the urgent need to stop the genocide of Palestinians and deliver humanitarian aid.
Abbas said the only path to peace was the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Jordan: Response Must be Deterrent
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said the Doha attack demonstrated the “unbounded dangers of Israel’s policies.”
He urged that the response must be “clear, decisive, and deterrent.”
He warned that Israel’s settlement expansion was eroding chances for a two-state solution and called for urgent action to halt the war in Gaza and prevent further Palestinian displacement.
