Qatar hosts summit in response to Israeli strike on Hamas in Doha

Dubai: Qatar hosted a summit of leaders of Arab and Islamic nations Monday in the hopes of presenting a united response to Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Doha last week. But the group has few ways to restrain Israel as its war in the Gaza Strip grinds on.

Israel launched its invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, and since then it has also retaliated against the militant group and other members of Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance elsewhere, including in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and now Qatar.

That’s led to wider anger among Mideast nations already enraged by the over 64,000 Palestinians killed during the war in Gaza — and a growing concern that the US commitment to protect Gulf Arab states may not be strong enough.

Condemnations from countries that Israel considers enemies, like Iran, will mean little. Meanwhile, the nations attending that have diplomatic recognition deals with Israel may be reluctant to sever ties.

“Considering the deep tensions between the Gulf states and other regional actors, assembling the summit in less than a week, especially given its scale, is a notable achievement that underscores a shared sense of urgency in the region,” the New York-based Soufan Center said.agencies