The Media Line: Doha Summits Criticize Israel, Call for Strengthened Gulf Defense Capabilities 

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Doha Summits Criticize Israel, Call for Strengthened Gulf Defense Capabilities 

By Hudhaifa Ebrahim / The Media Line 

Leaders of Arab and Islamic countries gathered at two summits in Doha on Monday, Sept. 15 to express solidarity with Qatar following Israel’s September 9 strike on Hamas members in the nation’s capital.  

The two summits issued statements condemning what they described as “Israeli aggression,” warning that continuing such practices could drag the Middle East into further wars and expand the scope of the crisis 

The Extraordinary Gulf Summits, attended by the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, along with representatives of the remaining Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, called for the activation of joint defense mechanisms and Gulf deterrence capabilities. 

The leaders gathered at the summit directed the Joint Gulf Defense Council to hold an urgent meeting in Doha, preceded by a meeting of the Supreme Military Committee, to assess the defense posture of the GCC states and the sources of threat in light of the Israeli offensive in Doha. 

This is the first time in 14 years that joint defense mechanisms have been reactivated. The GCC states have a joint force called the Peninsula Shield Force, comprising six member states. This force contributed to maintaining security and stability in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2011 following  Arab Spring. Prior to that, it contributed to the liberation of Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion in 1991. 

The emergency Arab-Islamic summit featured speeches by leaders or their representatives. They called for a reassessment of Arab-Israeli relations, pressure on the international community to prevent Israel from continuing its attacks in Gaza and other countries in the Middle East, and a commitment to the two-state solution.