Arab and Islamic leaders have convened in Doha for an extraordinary joint summit of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), seeking to craft a united and forceful response to Israel’s recent airstrike that targeted Hamas negotiators in the Qatari capital.

The emergency meeting, held just one day after foreign ministers met behind closed doors to prepare a draft resolution, comes amid growing anger across the Muslim world over Israel’s strike on September 9, which killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer and narrowly missed a Hamas negotiating team discussing a United States-backed ceasefire proposal.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani described the Israeli strike as a “barbaric act” and a violation of Qatari sovereignty. Speaking at the opening of the summit, he vowed to pursue “legitimate legal measures” to hold Israel accountable and protect Qatar’s territorial integrity.

“We appreciate the solidarity of brotherly Arab and Islamic countries and friendly nations who condemned this attack,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “Qatar will not remain silent in the face of such aggression, and we will take every legal and diplomatic step necessary to preserve our sovereignty.”

Foreign ministers from the participating states have drafted a resolution that strongly condemns Israel’s actions, warning that continued assaults risk destabilizing the entire region and jeopardizing existing normalization agreements.

Diplomatic sources revealed that the resolution calls for accountability measures against Israeli leaders, including pursuing legal action in international courts, as well as applying economic and political pressure, such as suspending diplomatic ties where necessary. The resolution also emphasizes enhanced security cooperation among Arab and Muslim nations to deter future violations of sovereignty and protect the Palestinian people from continued aggression.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar stressed the importance of the summit producing a “clear roadmap” to defend Palestine and confront Israeli aggression. “The world’s Muslims are watching this summit,” he said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “This is the time to turn words into action.”

Pakistani Defense Minister Muhammad Asif warned that no country would remain untouched by Israel’s war on Gaza if decisive action is not taken. “A nuclear-armed Pakistan stands ready to fulfill its duty to the Ummah,” he added, hinting at the need for a joint Muslim security framework.

The summit also addressed the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nearly two years of Israeli military operations have caused mass civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and forced displacement. Leaders emphasized that the strike in Doha was not an isolated incident but part of a wider campaign of assassinations, starvation tactics, and ethnic cleansing aimed at erasing Palestinian resistance.

Regional observers say the Doha summit could become a turning point in the Muslim world’s response to Israel. For the first time in years, Arab and Islamic states appear united in their condemnation and are discussing concrete measures that go beyond symbolic statements.

The final communiqué, expected later today, will set the tone for future Arab-Islamic diplomacy regarding Gaza and could potentially escalate political and economic isolation of Israel if its attacks continue. (ILKHA)