Israel Accused of Genocide as Muslim Leaders in Doha Push for Action; Pakistan Calls for Collective Defence

Islamabad: Doha has emerged as the new centre of gravity in the Middle East confrontation after Israel’s unprecedented strike on the Qatari capital targeting Hamas negotiators. Nearly 60 Arab and Muslim states met in an emergency OIC-Arab League summit on Monday, delivering one of the strongest collective condemnations yet of Israel’s war on Gaza and the Doha attack.

The meeting coincided with the release of a damning UN Commission of Inquiry report concluding that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians. The 72-page document cites four of the five acts defined under the 1948 Genocide Convention, ranging from mass killings and deliberate starvation to destruction of health facilities and preventing births. Israeli leaders’ own rhetoric – Netanyahu’s vow to “turn Gaza into rubble,” Gallant’s “human animals” comment, and Herzog’s claim that “an entire nation is responsible” – were listed as evidence of genocidal intent.

Israel dismissed the report as “distorted and false,” calling the UN experts “Hamas proxies.” But with nearly 65,000 Palestinians dead, 90% of homes destroyed, famine declared in Gaza City, and the fertility clinic bombing wiping out thousands of embryos, the commission says intent is undeniable.

At Doha, leaders moved beyond rhetoric. Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded economic pressure on Israel. Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned the “rogue behaviour” threatened all peace accords. Jordan’s King Abdullah called the Doha strike “living proof” Israel’s threat knows no limits. Malaysia and Indonesia bluntly told peers that condemnations and declarations are not enough – punitive measures and diplomatic disengagement are needed.

For Pakistan, the conference marked a notable pivot. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Doha strike as a direct assault on Muslim sovereignty and reiterated Islamabad’s support for a two-state solution. More striking was Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s interview with Al Jazeera: he floated the idea of a combined Arab-Islamic security force to stop Israeli aggression, insisting that “nuclear-powered Pakistan, as a member of the ummah, would discharge its duty.” Dar underlined that Pakistan’s military strength, conventional as well as nuclear, made it a credible deterrent.

His remarks echoed Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir’s quiet but telling presence in Qatar, underscoring that Islamabad is weighing more than diplomatic options. Dar drew a sharp contrast between Israel and India, accusing both of defying UN Security Council resolutions while calling for reforms to end “the culture of impunity.”

The timing of the Doha summit was no coincidence. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Qatar hours after meeting Netanyahu in Jerusalem, warning that there is only a “short window” for a ceasefire before Israel’s ground assault on Gaza City escalates further. Yet Netanyahu, even after being publicly restrained by Trump from striking Doha again, left open the possibility of new attacks on Qatar.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani accused Israel of sabotaging ceasefire negotiations by assassinating Hamas negotiators on his soil. “If you insist on freeing hostages, why kill the negotiators?” he asked.

The summit’s joint declaration urged states to review ties with Israel, consider legal proceedings, and activate a Gulf defence pact. Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned that silence in the face of Israeli “thuggery” was turning the region into “the ages of darkness and barbarism.”

For now, Doha has reset the diplomatic board: Israel faces mounting charges of genocide, the US is trying to keep Qatar engaged as mediator even after it was bombed, and the Muslim world – with Pakistan now speaking louder than before – is inching from words to talk of collective defence.