Doha reassessing mediating role amid bombings in Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon

Arab leaders are uniting behind Qatar, which has vowed a "collective response" to Israeli "state terrorism" after Israel attempted to kill Hamas leaders in an airstrike on the Gulf country, escalating its military campaign in the region and prompting wider condemnations.

With a summit of Arab and Islamic countries to be held in the coming days, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Wednesday, "There is a response that will happen from the region. This response is currently under consultation and discussion with regional partners."

In an interview with CNN, he called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be "brought to justice", adding that Doha is reassessing everything about its mediating role in the Gaza conflict, as Netanyahu had been wasting their time with the mediation process.

READ MORE: Netanyahu: Countries hosting Hamas could be Israel's next targets

It came as Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, visited Qatar on Wednesday and met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in a show of solidarity with Qatar.

Describing the attack as a violation of international law that threatens regional stability and peace prospects, the UAE leader stressed support for all measures taken by Doha to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

Anwar Gargash, a senior Emirati government adviser, wrote on X, "The security of the Arab Gulf states is indivisible, and we stand heart and soul with the sisterly State of Qatar, condemning the treacherous Israeli attack that targeted it, and affirming our full solidarity with it in confronting this aggression."

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday said Riyadh will "stand with Qatar without limit in all its actions" to deter the Israeli military from its criminal practices that threaten regional security and stability.

Egypt is also seeking guarantees from Washington that Israel will not attack exiled Hamas leaders again, The National reported, citing sources who said Cairo was considering providing a home for three or four of the group's top leaders who are involved in indirect negotiations with Israel.

Pakistan joined Algeria and Somalia on Wednesday in convening an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The session, initially scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed after Qatar requested rescheduling to accommodate its prime minister's attendance.

Ignorance of criticism

However, Netanyahu appears unfazed by the criticism and in just three days, his country has launched attacks in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Qatar, while continuing daily raids in the occupied West Bank. On Wednesday, it killed 35 people in an attack in Yemen.

He warned Qatar on Wednesday to either expel Hamas officials or "bring them to justice. Because if you don't, we will". He said countries should "applaud" Israel for its bombing and killing spree across the Middle East.

In response, Qatar's Foreign Ministry condemned Netanyahu's "explicit threats of future violations of state sovereignty". "He is fully aware that the hosting of the Hamas office took place within the framework of Qatar's mediation efforts requested by the United States and Israel," it said.

Qatar, in addition to its role in the Gaza negotiations, is home to a large US airbase, and has also recently given US President Donald Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet to use as his presidential plane.

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Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, said the bombing sent a clear message to the region, "If you think close ties with, and major military support for, Washington provides protection from sudden and massive attacks on civilian buildings during negotiations by Israel, think again."

Rami G Khouri, a distinguished fellow at the American University of Beirut, said the way Qatar and its Arab neighbors react could reshape relations with Washington for years, especially if it emerges that the US knew about the attack or even facilitated it.

"If Arab leaders conclude that they cannot trust the US to safeguard their interests and security, they could move to join a broader global coalition to rein in Israel's US-enabled militarism," he wrote in a column on the Al Jazeera website.

Contact the writer at cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn