UAE SUMMONS ISRAELI DEPUTY AMBASSADOR OVER QATAR STRIKE AND NETANYAHU’S REMARKS

The United Arab Emirates has summoned Israel’s Deputy Ambassador David Ohad Horsandi to protest Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s subsequent remarks deemed “hostile and unacceptable”. The Emirati Foreign Ministry stated that the continuation of such rhetoric “solidifies a situation that is unacceptable and cannot be overlooked”.

The UAE’s move highlights growing tensions between the two nations, despite their economic and defense ties established through the 2020 Abraham Accords. Netanyahu had warned Qatar to expel Hamas officials or face consequences, saying “You either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will”. The UAE condemned this as provocative and threatening regional stability.

Qatar, a key mediator in Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks and host to the US’s Al Udeid Air Base, strongly rejected Netanyahu’s comparison of the strike to post-9/11 US actions against Al-Qaeda. Saudi Arabia also condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation of international law and Qatari sovereignty”, warning of “grave consequences” and pledging solidarity with Qatar.

The strike killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer, drawing international criticism and raising concerns about Gulf region instability. An emergency Arab-Islamic summit is scheduled in Doha to discuss the attack. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan visited Qatar post-attack, coordinating regional responses.