Qatari Emir stresses determination to confront Israeli aggression

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has strongly condemned a recent Israeli strike on Doha, calling it a “treacherous attack” that shocked the world.

Speaking at the emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha, Sheikh Tamim said that the strike targeted a residential neighbourhood home to schools and diplomatic missions, killing six people, including a Qatari member of the Internal Security Forces, and injuring 18 others.

The Emir questioned Israel’s motives, noting that at the time of the strike on September 9, Hamas’ political leadership was reviewing a US-backed proposal mediated by Qatar and Egypt.

"If Israel wants to assassinate the political leadership of Hamas, then why does it negotiate with it?" he asked during the summit, which brought together leaders of Arab and Islamic nations to address the repercussions of the attack.

"The government of Israel believes it places the Arabs before a fait accompli each time, then follows them with new ones, so they drop the old and negotiate over the new,'' Sheikh Tamim added.

He stressed that Qatar will take all necessary actions within international law to defend its sovereignty, and said the region could have avoided many tragedies if Israel had accepted the Arab Peace Initiative.