Will Gulf states cut ties with Israel at crunch Qatar Arab-Islamic summit following Doha attack?

 The UAE on Friday said it had summoned the deputy Israeli ambassador over Israel's attack on Qatar as Gulf states consider their next steps in response to an unprecedented attack on one of their own.

Israeli warplanes hit the Qatari capital, Doha, on Tuesday in a raid that Israel claims targeted senior Hamas leaders. Qatar described the assault as a "flagrant violation of sovereignty", and its Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani called it "an act of state terror".

One member of Qatar's security forces was killed alongside at least five lower-ranking Hamas figures, in what will be a particurly sensitive issue in Gulf countries.

The UAE's foreign affairs committee said it had summoned Israel's envoy, Yossi Shelley, to protest "aggressive and provocative statements" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to underline that "the security of the State of Qatar is an integral part of the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council".

"Any aggression against a Gulf state represents aggression against the collective Gulf security framework. The continuation of such reckless policies jeopardises stability and pushes the region towards dangerous trajectories," the statement added.

President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed travelled to Doha on Wednesday, where he was received by Qatar's Emir in a strong show of support for Abu Dhabi's former adversary.

"We affirm our full solidarity with Qatar and support all measures it takes to preserve its sovereignty and protect its people," Sheikh Mohammed said.

At the same time, Emirati officials notified Israel that its defence industries would not be allowed to participate in a high-profile security and aerospace exhibition scheduled in Dubai in November.

Israeli media reported the decision was directly linked to the strike on Doha, despite official references to "security considerations".

Saudi Arabia, which has been considering joining the Abraham Accords, also issued a sharp rebuke. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for "an Arab, Islamic and international response to confront the aggression and deter Israel’s criminal practices".

The condemnations come as foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) prepare to meet in Riyadh on Sunday to coordinate a joint position.

Diplomats say options on the table range from further downgrading of ties to Israel to the suspension of joint projects, though no Gulf state has yet spoken of a full break in relations.

The situation places particular strain on the Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreements that saw the UAE and Bahrain normalise relations with Israel. For the UAE, which spearheaded the accords, Israel's strike on a fellow GCC member is viewed as a direct challenge to the idea of Gulf collective security.

Israel's army chief, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, defended the strike, saying Hamas leaders were "legitimate targets" and warning that Israel "will not tolerate Qatar being a safe haven for terrorists", despite Doha's critical role in trying to end the war on Gaza.

Netanyahu went further, telling reporters: "I say to Qatar and all nations who harbour terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will."

Those comments drew an unusually direct response from Abu Dhabi. "The UAE rejects in full the threats issued against Qatar," the foreign ministry said. "Such language undermines regional stability and cannot be accepted."

The United States, which maintains major military bases in Qatar and the wider Gulf, has appeared to be taking steps to ease tensions. President Donald Trump told Doha that the strike "does not advance Israel or America’s goals" and promised it would not be repeated, though he continues to back Netanyahu’s government.

Lamis Andoni, a Palestinian journalist and academic who led the launch of The New Arab as editor-in-chief, said Gulf leaders now face a defining moment.

"If the GCC states don't take a firm position, Israel will just continue its aggression against the Arab world," she told The New Arab. She added that while the Gulf countries were likely to issue a unified stance, the hope was for "a stronger position that makes any relations with Israel conditional on ending the genocide in Gaza and halting its expansionist policies".

"The ideal outcome would be a complete halt to normalisation, but it seems unlikely," Andoni said. "Instead, they may extend support not only to Qatar but also to Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Jordan, all of which have faced aggression or Israeli expansionist plans."

She also said it was time for Gulf states to reconsider their reliance on Washington.

"The US failed to protect Qatar, and it would not protect any of the Gulf states," she said.

Whether the current crisis will push Gulf states towards severing or suspending ties with Israel remains uncertain, but the language from Riyadh and Abu Dhabi suggests that the cost of maintaining relations has grown heavier.

For Qatar, which has hosted Hamas’s political leadership for more than a decade with US knowledge and tacit approval, the attack has hardened its stance.

"There is nothing valid in the current talks after such a strike," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said, casting doubt on Qatar’s role as a mediator in the Gaza war.

As the GCC prepares for its meeting in Riyadh on Sunday, Gulf officials say the priority is to show unity.

"An attack on one GCC member is an attack on all," announced Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ali Al-Yahya,  stressing that "aggression against any one state is considered an aggression against all GCC countries".⁠