Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has called for “concrete steps” to confront the Israeli government’s “bloodlust”, urging a united regional stance.
Addressing the emergency summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Doha on Monday, Al Thani said Israel’s strike in the Qatari capital last week that killed five Hamas members and a Qatari officer “proved that freeing hostages is not a priority for the Israeli government.”
"Whoever works diligently and systematically to assassinate the party with whom he is negotiating intends to thwart the negotiations. Negotiations, for them, are merely part of the war," Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told Arab and Muslim leaders gathered in Doha to discuss the attack.
He said Israel’s “extremist government wants to send aircraft to the region to become routine, as it dreams of turning the Arab region into an Israeli sphere of influence, and this is a dangerous illusion.”
The emergency Arab-Islamic summit hosted by Doha is expected to debate Israel’s September 9 attack on Doha and other "hostile acts" by Israel that threaten coexistence and efforts to normalise ties in the region, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters.
Hamas says the Israeli attack killed five of its members but not its leadership.
A member of Qatar's internal security forces was also killed.
