In Doha, Qatar, a joint emergency conference was held, uniting leaders from the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The summit saw 55 Muslim nations come together to strongly condemn Israel’s recent actions.
Nations like Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Saudi Arabia were key participants. They all accused Israel of carrying out attacks and showed their support for Qatar. Yet, the subdued reactions from the UAE and Bahrain, two of Qatar’s important neighbors, came as a surprise.
Israel had launched approximately 10 airstrikes in Doha the previous week. These strikes targeted senior Hamas leaders who were reportedly in discussions regarding a ceasefire in Gaza. The attacks resulted in at least six fatalities, leading to anger across Arab and Muslim countries. Leaders at the conference described the attacks as an act of unprecedented aggression, viewing the targeting of Qatar as a challenge to the entire Muslim world.
The 55 Muslim nations present at the meeting issued a warning to Israel, saying that such attacks could threaten regional peace and worsen the situation. Countries like Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia publicly backed Qatar. However, the UAE and Bahrain only sent minor representatives instead of their top leaders. The lack of strong support from these neighboring nations is considered a significant blow to Qatar.
The reason for this is that the Abraham Accords have led to open normalization of relations between Israel and both countries. Consequently, they seem to be hesitant to openly oppose Israel. Qatar has been attempting to position itself as a strong advocate for the Muslim world in regional politics. The lukewarm support from its neighbors could negatively impact its standing.