Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Qatar Prime Minister denounced Israel on Sunday as he met to discuss possible unification of foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim countries Israel’s response to attacks on Doha It targets the leadership of the extremist group Hamas.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullan al-Thani made comments before Monday’s meeting of leaders from those countries.
Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar continues to promise to work with Egypt and the US to reach a ceasefire. Israel-Hamas War It destroyed the Gaza Strip after Hamas’ attacks on Israel almost two years ago. However, he said the Israeli strike that killed six people (five Hamas members and members of the local Qatari security forces) represented “an attack on the principles of mediation.”
“This attack can only be described as a national terrorism, an approach pursued by the current extremist Israeli government. “A reckless and dangerous Israeli invasion was committed while Qatar was holding official and public negotiations with the aim of achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, with the knowledge of the Israeli side itself.”
Sheikh Mohammed emphasized that moment occurred in Israel’s attacks in the wider Middle East.
“It’s time for the international community to suspend the application of double standards and punish Israel for all crimes committed,” Sheikh Mohammed said in footage later announced by the Qatar government from the closure meeting.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abour Gate criticized Israel individually, warning that “silence in the face of crime… will pave the way for more crime.”
There was no immediate response from Israel, hosting the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this weekend.
However, on Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again defended the strike.
“The Hamas terrorist chiefs who live in Qatar don’t care about the people of Gaza,” he posted on X.
Hamas official Bassem Naim said in a statement that the organization hopes Monday’s summit will create a “uniform and decisive Arab-Islamic attitude” in the war.
Qatar, an energy-rich country on the Arabian Peninsula that hosted 2022 World CupLong has served as a mediator in conflict. For many years, they have hosted Hamas political leaders at US request and provided a channel for Israel to negotiate with extremist groups that have ruled Gaza for many years.
However, as the Israeli-Hamas war intensifies, Qatar is increasingly criticized by hardliners within the Netanyahu government. Netanyahu himself vowed to attack all those who organized a Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023. And since the attack in Qatar, he doubled saying that Qatar would remain a target if Hamas leader was there.
Netanyahu faces increased pressure from the Israeli people on the fate of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. There are still 48 hostages left in Gaza, of which 20 are believed to be still alive by Israel. According to local health officials, Israel’s attacks in Gaza killed more than 64,000 Palestinians. Approximately half of those killed were women and children.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants rushed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and acquiring 251.
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Sally Abou Aljaud of Beirut and Melanie Ridman of Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to this report.
