- Qatar hosts emergency moot after strikes kill six, as leaders vow ‘red lines’ against Israeli actions
- FO reiterates strong condemnation of Israeli aggression, underlining importance of ties with Qatar
- Says summit to be preceded by a preparatory meeting of FMs on Sept 14, wherein FM Dar will represent Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend an emergency summit of Arab and Muslim leaders in Qatar on Monday (tomorrow), convened to condemn Israel’s recent attack on Hamas officials in Doha and to demonstrate solidarity with the Gulf state.
Qatar announced the summit on Saturday, saying it was being held in response to “recent developments in the region.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the meeting would consider a draft resolution on “the Israeli attack on the State of Qatar,” to be prepared at a ministerial-level session on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Israeli strikes on the Qatari capital killed five Hamas members along with a Qatari security officer. The assault sparked widespread international condemnation, including from Gulf monarchies traditionally aligned with the United States, Israel’s principal backer.
According to the official QNA news agency, Al-Ansari said the summit reflects “broad Arab and Islamic solidarity with the State of Qatar in the face of Israel’s cowardly aggression … and the categorical rejection of Israel’s state terrorism.”
Confirming PM Shehbaz’s participation, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement on X that Islamabad is a co-sponsor of the summit. It added that Israel’s attempts to occupy Gaza, expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, and forcibly displace Palestinians were also central to the decision to convene the meeting.
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Curtain Raiser: Prime Minister to Attend the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha, Qatar
🔗⬇️https://t.co/Qvzhlx7q1q pic.twitter.com/6CxqO2sNKL
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) September 13, 2025
“Heads of states and governments and senior officials from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries are expected to participate,” the FO noted. “The summit will be preceded by a preparatory meeting of foreign ministers on September 14, 2025, in which Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will take part.”
The FO reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of Israeli aggression and underlined the importance of ties with Qatar.
Among other leaders expected in Doha are Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also in the Qatari capital, though his attendance at the summit itself has yet to be confirmed.
Analysts say the gathering is intended to send a strong message to Israel. “The Israeli strikes were seen across the Gulf as an unprecedented violation of sovereignty and an attack on diplomacy itself,” said Andreas Krieg of King’s College London. “The goal is to draw clear red lines and end the sense in Israel that it can act with impunity. Expect a sharper stance on Palestine and a harder edge on Israeli actions.”
Qatar, which hosts the largest US military base in the region, has been playing a key mediation role in the Gaza war alongside the United States and Egypt.
Trump Meets Qatari PM
In parallel developments, former US President Donald Trump hosted Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani for dinner in New York on Friday. US special envoy Steve Witkoff also attended.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission Hamah Al-Muftah posted on X after the meeting.
Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended !
— Hamad AlMuftah (@hmmm1983) September 13, 2025
The White House confirmed the dinner took place but offered no details. It followed an earlier hour-long meeting between Al-Thani, US Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House.
According to a source briefed on the talks, discussions focused on Qatar’s future mediation role and defence cooperation in the wake of Israel’s strikes.
Separately, Trump conveyed his displeasure over the attack in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing the strike as a unilateral move that did not serve either US or Israeli interests.
