Arab and Muslim leaders on Monday called for a review of ties with Israel following last week's deadly strike in the Qatari capital that killed six people, a joint statement after the Arab League (AL) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Doha, said.
The emergency joint session of the AL and the OIC brought together nearly 60 countries. The summit sought to take firm action after Israel's attack on Qatar-hosted Hamas officials as they discussed a Gaza ceasefire proposal.
The joint statement from the summit urged "all States to take all possible legal and effective measures to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against the Palestinian people", including "reviewing diplomatic and economic relations with it, and initiating legal proceedings against it".
Qatar's fellow Gulf nations the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, along with Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, which recognised Israel, were among those present. The UAE, Bahrain and Morocco, which signed the Abraham Accords five years ago had sent senior representatives.
The summit aimed to pile pressure on Israel, which is facing mounting calls to end the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The statement urged the member states to "coordinate efforts aimed at suspending Israel's membership in the United Nations".
Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani accused Israel of trying to scupper ceasefire talks by firing on Hamas negotiators. "Whoever works diligently and systematically to assassinate the party with whom he is negotiating, intends to thwart the negotiations," the Emir told the summit.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was also among those present in the talks, as were Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
"Tomorrow, it could be the turn of any Arab or Islamic capital," said Pezeshkian, whose country fought a 12-day war with Israel in June. "The choice is clear. We must unite." Turkish President Erdogan accused Israel of adopting a "terrorist mentality", as countries took turns slamming it over Gaza.
President Abdelfattah al-Sisi of Egypt warned the Israeli attack in Qatar "places obstacles in the way of any opportunities for new peace agreements and even aborts the existing peace agreements with countries in the region".
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