Qatar to Review Diplomatic and Economic Ties with Israel

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Qatar to Review Diplomatic and Economic Ties with Israel
Photo: Alex Brandon/AP/TT

A number of Arab and Muslim countries are urging a review of all "diplomatic and economic" relations with Israel. The statement comes after an extraordinary summit in Qatar on Monday.

The summit is a reaction to Israel's attack on Hamas members in Qatar's capital Doha last week.

The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation gathered leaders and representatives from nearly 60 countries.

The joint statement urges "to take all possible legal and effective measures to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against the Palestinian people”.

In the statement, the countries are also urged to "coordinate their efforts to revoke Israel's membership in the UN”.

Irritation in Washington

Five Hamas members and one Qatari were killed in Israel's attack on a building complex in Doha last Tuesday.

The attack is said to have caused irritation in Washington, but the US has at the same time assured Israel that it does not affect their relationship. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defends the attack as a way to force an end to the war against terrorist-stamped Hamas.

Qatar, which has acted as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, wanted to get a unified regional response to Israel with the summit.

In his opening speech, Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani accused Israel of trying to sabotage the talks on a ceasefire in Gaza.

He who works carefully and systematically to kill the party he is negotiating with, intends to thwart the negotiations, said the emir.

”Dangerous illusion”

The emir also said that he believes Netanyahu's dream is to turn the Arab region into an "Israeli sphere of interest”.

It's a dangerous illusion.

Among the leaders at the meeting were Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and the Palestinians' president Mahmud Abbas.

Egypt's President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi warned that Israel's attack in Qatar "prevents all possibilities for new peace agreements" and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of having a "terrorist mentality”.

Rubio to Qatar

The rich Gulf states also had a separate meeting and urge in a statement that the US should now use its "influence on Israel”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who met Netanyahu in Israel on Monday, is traveling to Qatar on Tuesday.

Then Rubio will emphasize the US's "full support for Qatar's security and sovereignty after Israel's attack in Doha", according to a statement from the US State Department.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers

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