SAEDNEWS: When Israeli jets tore through Doha’s skies last week, striking a residential block that housed Hamas negotiators, they may also have set in motion something Israel has long feared: the birth of an Arab military alliance.
Doha — In what marks the most serious push for regional military integration in decades, an emergency Arab-Islamic summit opened in Doha on Sunday is discussing a bold proposal to create a joint military coalition, South China Morning Post reports.
Diplomatic sources and Arab media indicate the summit is set to endorse the coalition on Monday. Egypt, commanding the Arab world’s largest army, is advocating for a Cairo-based “Arab NATO,” while nuclear-armed Pakistan calls for a joint task force to “monitor Israeli designs in the region and adopt effective deterrent and offensive measures in a synchronised manner to ward off Israeli expansionist designs.”
“Israel must be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said during the summit’s opening session. “It should not be allowed to attack Islamic countries and kill people with impunity.”
The summit builds upon a joint Egyptian-Saudi framework approved by the Arab League just days before Israel’s attack on Qatar. On September 5, the 22-member body backed a plan for joint cooperation to combat terrorism, secure shipping lanes, and protect strategic infrastructure — “thereby strengthening the region’s stability.”
Following Israel’s recent airstrike on a residential compound in Doha, where Hamas mediators were confirmed to be housed, the plan is being fast-tracked. Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani condemned the attack as not merely targeted, but an assault on the principle of mediation itself.
“Instead of welcoming Qatar’s negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of hostages, Israel chose escalation,” Thani said, criticizing the “inability” of the international community, particularly the West, to hold Israel accountable.
Thani urged Muslim countries to take “real and tangible measures” to prevent further violence, warning that failure would lead to an “endless cycle of bloodshed and destruction from which no one will be immune.”
The strikes also highlight rising doubts about Washington’s reliability as a security guarantor. Qatari officials stressed that the security relationship with the U.S. remains intact, despite the failure to intercept missiles targeting Doha.
The Doha summit could therefore signal a historic step toward an Arab-Islamic military coalition — a coordinated regional front aimed at deterring further Israeli aggression and ensuring regional stability.
