WASHINGTON: The US military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important US ally in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday. Hegseth, who made the announcement during a visit by Qatar&#39;s defense minister, said the facility to be built at the Mountain Home Air Force Base would &ldquo;host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, and interoperability.&rdquo; The arrangement is not unusual. Pentagon officials noted that similar facilities have been set up for other allies for decades, and the Idaho base already hosts a fighter squadron from Singapore. But the news drew a sharp rebuke from close Trump ally and right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who called the plan &ldquo;an abomination&rdquo; and accused the Qataris of being associated with Islamic terror organizations. &ldquo;No foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries,&rdquo; Loomer wrote in one of several social media posts just hours after Hegseth&#39;s announcement. Although Loomer holds no formal position within the Trump administration, her online complaints have a history of achieving results. Her criticisms have led to the firing of officials on the National Security Council, Dr. Vinay Prasad, the Food and Drug Administration&rsquo;s vaccine chief, and Gen. Tim Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency. Qatar, which hosts the biggest US military base in the Middle East, made clear that it will not have a base on US soil and that it will cover the costs of building the training facility. &ldquo;This will not be a Qatari air base,&rdquo; the spokesman for the embassy in Washington said in a statement posted on X. &ldquo;Rather, Qatar has made an initial 10-year commitment to construct and maintain a dedicated facility within an existing US air base, intended for advanced training and to enhance interoperability in defending and advancing our shared interests around the world.&rdquo; The statement said the project will create hundreds of jobs for Americans and noted that the planning began several years ago, and it received local approval. When asked for more details about the future facility, Hegseth&rsquo;s office said it had nothing to offer beyond the secretary&rsquo;s remarks. The announcement comes just days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order vowing to use all measures, including US military action, to defend Qatar. Loomer also criticized that decision, writing, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to die for Qatar. Do you?&rdquo; on social media. However, she was not alone. The Wall Street Journal&rsquo;s editorial board also questioned the pledge, writing that &ldquo;this is a decision that can be and should have been debated.&rdquo; &ldquo;Instead, it comes out of the blue &mdash; an executive order following no public debate,&rdquo; the board wrote. The small, gas-rich country played a key role in negotiating the most recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the war in Gaza, as well as in several other key negotiations. Doha, the capital of Qatar, came under surprise attack from Israel last month as members of Hamas were in the city last month to discuss a ceasefire. Qatar also lavished a $400 million jumbo jet on Trump for use as Air Force One. However, the Qataris&#39; connection with US military aviation predates these more recent developments. In 2020, the US Air Force announced it had signed a deal with Qatar for the sale of more than 35 F-15 fighter jets. An Air Force environmental study, completed two years later, revealed that Mountain Home Air Force Base was proposing to build a facility that would house 12 Qatari F-15 jets and about 300 additional Qatari and US Air Force personnel. While the US military has a long history of training pilots for allied countries, the practice received scrutiny in 2019 following a deadly mass shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Station that killed three US service members and wounded several others. The shooter, Mohammad Saeed Al-Shamrani, was a Saudi Air Force officer who was training at the Pensacola base. The FBI said he was linked to the al-Qaida extremist group and had been in contact with it before the shooting. In the wake of the shooting, the US sent home 21 other Saudi military students after an investigation revealed each had expressed jihadist or anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had &ldquo;contact with child pornography,&rdquo; including in internet chat rooms, according to officials at the time. However, the US continued to train Saudi pilots. Loomer referenced the incident in her social media posts on Friday. &ldquo;Why are we trying to train more Muslims how to fly planes on US soil? Didn&rsquo;t we already learn our lesson?&rdquo; she wrote on social media.

Americas

The US plans to train Qatari pilots in Idaho, sparking backlash from critics citing past security concerns, though officials stress Qatar will fund the project, creating more American jobs.

Pentagon to build a training facility for Qatari pilots in Idaho

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Qatar announced on Thursday that a full agreement between Israel and Hamas has been reached regarding the &quot;first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.&quot; &quot;The mediators announce that tonight an agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid.&quot;&nbsp; Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, said in a social media post, as&nbsp;reported by the state-run Qatar News Agency.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976058667645440032&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=c46136357c6d53ddd2e07518be38f10515abb71c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 479px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&quot;The details will be announced later,&quot; the Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.

Middle East

Includes implementation mechanisms for ending the war, release of hostages and prisoners, and allowing entry of aid into Gaza.

Qatar announces full agreement reached on 'first phase of Gaza ceasefire agreement' 

ISLAMABAD: Qatar&#39;s prime minister and Turkish delegates will join Hamas and Israeli negotiators in Egypt on Wednesday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the Gaza war, AFP reported. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are being held at the Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, based on a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump last month. &lsquo;There&rsquo;s a possibility&rsquo;: TrumpPresident Trump on Tuesday pledged US support for Gaza security guarantees and said he believes a deal is close to being completed for the remaining hostages, Reuters reported. Talking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, &quot;I think there&#39;s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East&quot; beyond just Gaza. He said he would discuss Gaza with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. &quot;We are very close to making a deal on the Middle East that will bring peace to the Middle East after all of these years,&quot; Trump said at the start of an Oval Office meeting with Carney. Asked what security guarantees the United States was willing to offer, Trump pledged help without providing specifics. &quot;We are going to do everything possible &mdash; we have a lot of power &mdash; and we&#39;re going to do everything possible to make sure everybody adheres to the deal,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Global pressureGlobal pressure to end the war has escalated, with much of Gaza flattened, a UN-declared famine unfolding and Israeli hostage families still longing for their loved ones&#39; return, AFP reported. A UN probe last month accused Israel of genocide. Hamas&#39;s top negotiator, Khalil El-Hayya, said the group wants &quot;guarantees from President Trump and the sponsor countries that the war will end once and for all&quot;. Trump&#39;s plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages, Hamas&#39;s disarmament, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The plan received positive responses from both Israel and Hamas and prompted indirect talks in Egypt since Monday. A Palestinian source close to the Hamas negotiating team said Tuesday&#39;s session included Hamas discussing &quot;the initial maps presented by the Israeli side regarding the withdrawal of troops as well as the mechanism and timetable for the hostage-prisoner exchange&quot;.&nbsp;Steve Witkoff to join talksOn Wednesday, Trump&#39;s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will join the talks, according to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. &quot;The primary guarantee of success at this stage is US President Trump himself ... even if it comes to a point to require him imposing a vision,&quot; he said. Qatar stated that its prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, would attend. In contrast, Turkish state media reported that the country&#39;s Intelligence Chief, Ibrahim Kalin, would lead a delegation to Egypt. Israel&#39;s war on Gaza has killed at least 67,160 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza, figures the United Nations considers credible.

The two countries will join the talks in Cairo, based on a US-proposed plan calling for a ceasefire, hostage release, and Israeli withdrawal. President Trump says he believes a deal is close. 

Qatar, Turkey to join third day of Gaza peace talks in Egypt

Doha: Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will attend the ongoing Gaza peace talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said. Sheikh Mohammed&#39;s &quot;participation in the meetings... comes at a critical stage of the talks, reaffirming the determination of the mediators to reach an agreement that would bring an end to the catastrophic war in the Gaza Strip,&quot; the ministry said Tuesday on X.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will attend the ongoing Gaza peace talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said

Qatar PM to join Gaza peace talks in Egypt: foreign ministry

DOHA: Qatar said it was set to hold talks with Hamas negotiators, Egypt and Turkey on Tuesday to discuss US President Donald Trump&#39;s Gaza plan, adding that Hamas would study it &quot;responsibly.&quot; Trump unveiled a plan in Washington calling for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, disarmament of the group and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, followed by a post-war transitional authority headed by the president himself.&nbsp;Qatar and Egypt handed the proposal to Hamas on Monday, and &lsquo;the Hamas&rsquo; negotiating delegation promised to study it responsibly,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a press conference.&nbsp;&quot;There will also be another meeting today, also attended by the Turkish side, with the negotiating delegation.&quot;&nbsp;The head of Egyptian intelligence and his Turkish counterpart were in Doha he said, to take part in negotiations.&nbsp;&quot;It is still too early to speak about responses, but we are truly optimistic that this plan, as we said, is a comprehensive one,&quot; Ansari added.&nbsp;Following the announcement on Monday, Qatari authorities said they were ready to press for a truce in the Palestinian territory following an Israeli apology for its unprecedented strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha earlier this month.&nbsp;Ansari added that the US had given security assurances to Qatar and Israel had promised not to attack it again.&nbsp;&quot;The security assurances and the commitments that were offered in the call on Monday by President Trump and the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu were very clear and were under the guarantee of the US president that Qatar will never be attacked,&quot; Ansari said.&nbsp;&quot;We are content with the security assurances that we have received,&quot; he said, adding there had also been &quot;a commitment by Israel not to attack Qatar again in its capacity or otherwise.&quot;&nbsp;Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, had led efforts to broker a comprehensive ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Qatar will host talks Tuesday with Hamas, Egypt, and Turkey on President Trump’s Gaza plan, which calls for ceasefire, hostage releases, Hamas disarmament, and Israeli withdrawal. Doha voiced optimism after receiving US security assurances and Israeli commitments.

Qatar to hold Gaza plan talks with Hamas, Turkey on Tuesday

ISLAMABAD: Qatar&rsquo;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived in Amman on Wednesday for an official visit to Jordan, shortly after an Israeli airstrike hit a residential area in Doha on September 9, &nbsp;an act Qatar condemned as a violation of its sovereignty.&nbsp;The emir was warmly received by King Abdullah II, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, and senior Jordanian officials at the airport. The two leaders held formal talks at Basman Palace, where they discussed ways to deepen bilateral ties and expand cooperation in political, economic, and regional matters.&nbsp;According to a statement from Qatar&rsquo;s foreign ministry, King Abdullah II welcomed the Emir and hailed the visit as a step toward further strengthening &quot;the fraternal relations and fruitful cooperation between the two nations.&quot; He expressed hope that Qatar-Jordan ties would continue to develop for the benefit of both peoples.&nbsp;In response, Emir Tamim expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and reaffirmed Qatar&rsquo;s commitment to its partnership with Jordan.&nbsp;Notably, King Abdullah expressed Jordan&rsquo;s full solidarity with Qatar following the Israeli strike on its capital, calling it a &quot;treacherous attack&quot; and voicing support for Qatar&rsquo;s right to defend its sovereignty. He also praised Doha&rsquo;s continued efforts to promote regional and international peace and stability.&nbsp;Qatar and Jordan share deep-rooted diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties, with both nations often working together on issues of regional security, Palestinian rights, and cooperation within the Arab League and Islamic world.

Qatari Emir arrived in Jordan for an official visit shortly after Israel’s strikes in Doha.

Qatar emir visits Jordan amid tensions after Israeli strike on Doha

ISLAMABAD: The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Monday reaffirmed their &ldquo;collective duty to respond&rdquo; to Israeli military actions, citing regional defense agreements and collective security under international law. The mechanism for a collective response is embodied in the Joint Defense Agreement of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, which is based on integrated, &ldquo;interdependent collective security&rdquo; and adherence to the United Nations Charter. Article 2 of the agreement states that any attack on one member is considered an attack on all, and commits members to providing assistance quickly, including with military force if necessary, to defend against aggression and restore security.&nbsp; The charter also outlines consultation mechanisms, joint exercises, the development of the &lsquo;Peninsula Shield Force&rsquo;, and steps to build a regional military industrial base. The pact draws on Article 51 of the UN Charter, which recognizes the &ldquo;inherent right of individual and collective self-defense&rdquo; until the Security Council acts to restore peace and security. Unified Military Command meeting soonAt the summit, member states discussed strengthening joint defense mechanisms and what they described as &ldquo;Gulf deterrent capabilities.&rdquo; A meeting of the bloc&rsquo;s Unified Military Command is scheduled to convene soon in Doha, according to Majed Mohammed Al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Leaders said they would continue consultations among military bodies and political organs to coordinate positions and responses under international law. They added that any measures taken would be reported to the UN Security Council in line with the Charter. Qatar condemns Israeli attacksEarlier, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani opened the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit by condemning the recent attacks. &ldquo;My country&rsquo;s capital was subjected to a treacherous attack targeting a residence housing the families of Hamas leaders and their negotiating delegation,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; The Emir said they would take &ldquo;concrete steps to address the state of madness of power, arrogance, and bloodthirstiness obsession that has befallen the government of Israel.&rdquo; Al Jazeera reported that Israel carried out strikes in Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar, and Yemen within a 72-hour period.&nbsp; Arab-Islamic blocsThe Arab League comprises 22 member nations from North Africa to the Gulf, representing a population of nearly 500 million. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation consists of 57 countries with significant Muslim populations across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, and was formed in 1969 after an arson attack on Jerusalem&rsquo;s Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), was formed on May 25, 1981, and is a regional political, economic, and security alliance comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. It is headquartered in Riyadh and was established through its Charter as a framework for cooperation and collective defense in the Gulf region.

The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation reaffirmed their “collective duty to respond” to Israeli military actions, citing Article 51 principles of joint defense and collective security under international law.

Arab–Islamic bloc signal military coordination under defense pact

<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: calc(-6px + 1.75rem); padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;' id="isPasted">ISLAMABAD: The U.S. State Department says Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head to Qatar after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. The visit announced Monday comes as the region is still reeling from Israel&rsquo;s strike targeting Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, Doha.&nbsp;<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: calc(-6px + 1.75rem); padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>The U.S. has sought to ease tensions between Israel and Qatar, two close American allies.<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: calc(-6px + 1.75rem); padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>Netanyahu and Rubio stood shoulder-to-shoulder in Jerusalem and downplayed the furor that had, at least for a short time, taken the Trump administration aback. There were no signs of U.S. frustration or annoyance with Israel&rsquo;s latest moves, although President Donald Trump had made clear his displeasure with Israel&rsquo;s unilateral strike on Hamas in Qatar.<p style='box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: calc(-6px + 1.75rem); padding: 0.2rem 0px 0.8rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: "AP Font", "AP Font Local", Verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>While speaking at a summit over Israel&rsquo;s attack last week, Qatar&rsquo;s ruling emir accused Israel of not caring about its hostages held in the Gaza Strip and instead only working to &ldquo;ensure Gaza is no longer livable.&rdquo;

Rubio to visit Qatar after Netanyahu talks, as U.S. seeks to ease tensions following Israel’s strike on Hamas in Doha.

Marco Rubio to head to Qatar after meeting with Netanyahu in Israel

ISLAMABAD: Arab and Muslim leaders at an emergency summit in Doha on Monday issued a joint statement demanding all nations take legal, diplomatic, and economic measures to hold Israel accountable for its recent deadly airstrike on Hamas officials in Qatar.&nbsp;The statement urged countries to review their ties with Israel, suspend its United Nations (U.N.) membership, and initiate legal proceedings to prevent further Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.&nbsp;Pakistan PM urges Arab-Islamic task forcePakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, attending the summit, condemned Israel&rsquo;s strike as a dangerous escalation and called for regional unity. &ldquo;Let history record this great moment, when we, the leaders of the Arab-Islamic world, have chosen unity, dignity, and courage over silence and inaction,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Sharif emphasized stopping Israel&rsquo;s expansionist policies and proposed forming an Arab-Islamic task force to implement effective countermeasures. He also highlighted the critical role of peace mediators in wartime, stressing that the attack on Qatar undermines ceasefire efforts in Gaza.&nbsp;Turkiye calls for sanctions, military coordinationTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan labeled Israel&rsquo;s war a global threat and urged a firm response including sanctions and military cooperation. &ldquo;Israel&#39;s war has become a threat, not only to Gaza but the whole world,&rdquo; he warned.&nbsp;Erdoğan condemned Israeli policies of occupation and genocide and revealed T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s halt of commercial ties with Israel, sacrificing $9.5 billion annually. He pledged to share T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s military capabilities with Muslim nations, signaling readiness for collective defense.&nbsp;Iran denounces Israeli violationsIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a forceful rebuke, accusing Israel of &ldquo;crossing all lines&rdquo; by violating Muslim countries&rsquo; sovereignty and dignity, including the Qatar strike.&nbsp;&ldquo;Any further crimes cannot be tolerated,&rdquo; Pezeshkian warned, calling for Israeli leaders to face justice for war crimes. He invoked Muslim unity, citing Prophet Muhammad&rsquo;s (PBUH) call for Muslims to stand &ldquo;as one, one body, one hand.&rdquo;&nbsp;Maldives voices regional solidarityMaldives President Mohamed Muizzu condemned the airstrike as an attack on the entire Muslim world. &ldquo;An attack on Qatar is an attack on us all,&rdquo; he declared.&nbsp;Muizzu criticized international double standards protecting Israel and called for its leaders to face justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity.&nbsp;Palestinian president urges firm global responsePalestinian President Mahmoud Rida Abbas decried Israel&rsquo;s far-right government as incapable of peace and security, calling for strong Arab-Muslim unity and urgent intervention by the U.S. and UN Security Council.&nbsp;He praised the Arab-Muslim states&rsquo; support for Palestine and mediation efforts by Egypt and Qatar to end the genocide, deliver humanitarian aid, and withdraw occupation forces.&nbsp;Qatar dubs Israel &lsquo;treacherous, cowardly&rsquo;Qatar&rsquo;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sharply criticized Israel&rsquo;s actions, accusing it of deliberately undermining ceasefire negotiations. &ldquo;There is no room to deal with such a party that&rsquo;s cowardly and treacherous,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The Emir&rsquo;s remarks highlight Qatar&rsquo;s frustration as a key mediator targeted in the attack and underscore the region&rsquo;s fragile peace efforts.&nbsp;U.S. assures support for Qatar amid tensionsWhile the summit condemned Israel&rsquo;s strike, the U.S. pledged support for Qatar&rsquo;s sovereignty. Secretary of State Marco Rubio planned to visit Doha, reaffirming Washington&rsquo;s commitment despite strained ties following the attack.&nbsp;The incident raises concerns over U.S. security guarantees in the Gulf, where major American military assets are located.&nbsp;The emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha marked a pivotal moment of regional unity demanding legal, diplomatic, and economic actions against Israel following the airstrike on Qatar. Strong speeches from leaders of Pakistan, T&uuml;rkiye, Iran, Maldives, Palestine, and Qatar reflected shared outrage and a call for justice, even as complex regional dynamics pose challenges to unified action.

Pakistan PM urges halting Israel’s expansion, proposes Arab-Islamic task force, warns Qatar strike undermines Gaza ceasefire efforts

Arab, Muslim leaders demand review of ties with Israel after Qatar airstrike

Reuters

ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump planned to meet the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, a White House official said, days after U.S. ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha. The official did not elaborate on the timing of the meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani or its agenda. Israel attempted to assassinate the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing U.S.-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict.&nbsp; The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.&nbsp;Trump criticizes Israeli actionTrump said he was unhappy with Israel&#39;s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance U.S. or Israeli interests. Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, and for a post-conflict plan for the territory. Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace, but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator. The Qatari leader will also meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department said late on Thursday.&nbsp;Humanitarian toll in GazaIsrael&#39;s assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed over 64,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials, while internally displacing almost all Gaza&#39;s population, and set off a starvation crisis. Multiple rights experts and scholars say Israel&#39;s military assault on Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel has rejected that determination. It launched its offensive in Gaza after an October 2023 attack by militants in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has also bombed Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Yemen in the course of the Gaza conflict.

Trump plans meeting with Qatari PM after Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, amid Gaza conflict and escalating regional tensions.

Trump to meet Qatari prime minister after Israeli attack in Doha

DOHA: Israel&rsquo;s military said Tuesday it carried out an airstrike targeting Hamas leadership. The announcement came after multiple explosions were heard in Doha, Qatar&rsquo;s capital. The Qatari-funded news network Al Jazeera linked the explosions to an Israeli announcement that it targeted top Hamas leaders in a strike. The loud blasts sent black smoke into the air. It wasn&rsquo;t immediately clear if anyone was injured in the attack. Qatar condemnsQatar condemned the &ldquo;cowardly Israeli attack&rdquo; on Hamas headquarters in Doha and called it a violation of international law. &quot;This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar,&quot; said a <a href="https://twitter.com/majedalansari/status/1965407402607677474">post on X&nbsp;</a>from Dr. Majed Al Ansari, advisor to the prime minister and official spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs. He said that Qatar will not tolerate any disruption of regional security. Investigations are being carried out and further details will be announced soon, he said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemns attackIn <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1965434239933125086">a post on X</a>, Pakistan&rsquo;s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote, &ldquo;Our deepest sympathies and solidarity are with the Amir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Qatari Royal Family, as well as the people of Qatar at this difficult time.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;This act of aggression by Israel is totally unjustified, a brazen violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, and constitutes a most dangerous provocation that could imperil regional peace and stability. Pakistan stands firmly with the State of Qatar, as well as with the people of Palestine against Israel&rsquo;s aggression.&rdquo; Qatar&#39;s role as mediatorHamas&rsquo; exiled leadership has long been based in Qatar, which has served as a mediator in talks between Hamas and Israel for several years, even before the latest war in the Gaza Strip. A strike on its top leadership could further complicate negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages taken in Hamas&rsquo; October 7, 2023 attack. With additional inputs from AP

Qatar condemned the “cowardly Israeli attack” on Hamas headquarters in Doha, and called it a violation of international law


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