Following the abortive Israeli attempt to eliminate members of Hamas’ political bureau, the Arab-Islamic “emergency summit” opens on Monday in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Ahead of the summit itself, foreign ministers from the participating countries will meet in the afternoon to prepare a draft statement.
Nearly 50 ministers and senior officials representing the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are arriving to take part in the discussions. Among those expected: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Emirati Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen al-Marri, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Mohammad Tawhid Hossain and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.
The Qatari newspaper Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported that several options are being considered: A joint statement condemning Israel’s strike, seen as the most likely scenario given past precedents; a coordinated diplomatic effort at the U.N. Security Council and other international bodies aimed at “pressuring Israel,” including the possible adoption of “economic and media steps that could include a boycott;” a call for “unity” and overcoming Arab and Islamic divisions in the face of “shared threats.” (Read More)