In response to the recent Israeli attack on Qatar, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Supreme Council has directed the GCC Joint Defense Council to hold an emergency meeting in Doha. This meeting, to be preceded by a session of the military committee, will assess the current defense posture and sources of threat. The council also instructed the necessary steps to be taken to activate joint defense and deterrence mechanisms.
The extraordinary summit, chaired by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, brought together Gulf leaders and the GCC Secretary General to discuss the attack on residential facilities housing Hamas political leaders involved in Qatari-led mediation talks. The strike resulted in the death of Qatari security officer Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Dosari and endangered civilians, schools, and diplomatic missions in a densely populated area.
In its final statement, the Supreme Council strongly condemned the Israeli attack as a clear violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and international law. The council described the incident as a dangerous escalation that jeopardizes regional stability. The leaders reaffirmed the indivisible security of the GCC, emphasizing that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all, in accordance with the bloc’s founding charter and joint defense pact. The council expressed full support for Qatar and pledged to mobilize resources to protect its stability and sovereignty from threats.
The leaders also warned that Israel’s continued aggression undermines efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, impedes the release of hostages, and jeopardizes regional peace initiatives. They urged the United Nations Security Council and the international community to take decisive action to deter Israel’s repeated violations, cautioning that failure to do so would undermine international law and encourage further aggression.
The summit praised Qatar’s swift response and commended its security and civil defense forces for their efforts to contain the incident and protect residents. The leaders emphasized that the attack directly undermines Qatar’s crucial mediation role in ending the conflict in Gaza and alleviating Palestinian suffering.
The council concluded by urging the international community to confront what it called Israel’s “war crimes” in Gaza, including the displacement, starvation, and targeting of civilians, aid workers, and journalists.
