DOHA/JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned he did not rule out additional strikes on Hamas leaders “wherever they’re” because the heads of Arab and Islamic states held a summit to indicate assist for Qatar after Israel’s attack on the Gulf state last week.
The September 9 strike focusing on leaders of the Palestinian militant group in Doha marked a big escalation of Israeli navy motion in a area shaken by battle for the reason that Hamas-led October 7, 2023 assaults that ignited the Gaza conflict.
The emergency Arab-Islamic summit hosted by Doha is anticipated to warn that the Israeli assault and different “hostile acts” by Israel threaten coexistence and efforts to normalize ties within the area, in line with a draft decision seen by Reuters.
Addressing the summit, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani mentioned the Israeli assault was “cowardly and treacherous,” saying Hamas leaders had been learning a US ceasefire proposal introduced to them by Qatar and Egypt when it occurred.
Hamas says the Israeli assault killed 5 of its members however not its management. A member of Qatar’s inner safety forces was additionally killed.
Focusing on shut US ally Qatar, the Israeli strike has prompted US-allied Gulf Arab states to shut ranks, notably including to strains in ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, which had been normalised in 2020.
Talking alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem, Netanyahu mentioned Israel was nonetheless getting closing stories on the outcomes of the strike.
Rubio will journey to Qatar after his go to to Israel, a senior US State Division official mentioned.
Rubio known as on Qatar to proceed to play a constructive position in resolving the Gaza battle, saying it might assist attain the targets of releasing all 48 hostages nonetheless held in Gaza, disarming Hamas and constructing a greater future for Gazans.
“And so we will proceed to encourage Qatar to play a constructive position in that regard,” he mentioned.
US President Donald Trump has indicated displeasure on the assault and mentioned on Sunday Israel ought to be cautious.
“My message is that they should be very, very cautious. They should do one thing about Hamas, however Qatar has been a terrific ally to the USA,” he mentioned.
Israeli assault threatens ‘coexistence’
An excerpt of the draft decision seen by Reuters mentioned “the brutal Israeli assault on Qatar and the continuation of Israel’s hostile acts together with genocide, ethnic cleaning, hunger, siege, and colonizing actions and enlargement insurance policies threatens prospects of peace and coexistence within the area.”
These actions threaten “every thing that has been achieved on the trail of normalizing ties with Israel together with present agreements and future ones,” in line with the draft, which was drawn up by international ministers assembly forward of the summit.
Israel has been extensively accused of committing genocide towards Palestinians in Gaza, together with by the world’s largest group of genocide students, throughout its almost two-year marketing campaign within the Palestinian enclave that has killed greater than 64,000 individuals, in line with native authorities.
Israel rejects the accusation, citing its proper to self-defense following the October 7 assault that killed 1,200 individuals and resulted within the seize of 251 hostages, in line with Israeli figures.
Qatar has acted as a key mediator within the Gaza battle and has accused Israel of sabotaging probabilities for peace and Netanyahu of training “state terrorism.”
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani mentioned on Sunday that Israel’s actions wouldn’t cease Doha’s mediation efforts with Egypt and the USA.
Israel destroys 16-floor constructing in Gaza
Whereas diplomacy was unfolding in Jerusalem and Doha, Israeli forces had been persevering with their assault on Gaza Metropolis, the place they killed not less than 16 Palestinians in strikes on two properties and on a tent housing a displaced household, native well being authorities mentioned.
The military additionally hit and destroyed a 16-floor constructing within the west of the town, believed to be the tallest within the Gaza Strip, about an hour after warning displaced households sheltering inside and close by to depart. It mentioned the constructing was getting used to cover “terrorist infrastructure.”
Rubio gave robust backing to Israel, which has grown more and more remoted on the world stage due to widespread indignation on the monumental dying toll in Gaza and the continued humanitarian and starvation disaster within the Palestinian enclave. — Reuters