Gulf states condemn Israeli strike on Qatar, pledges unified defence boost

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Joint Defence Council convened an emergency session in Doha, vehemently condemning the Israeli strike on Qatar as a “grave violation” of sovereignty and international law, while approving immediate measures to bolster collective defence.

In an official statement, the council denounced the Israeli attack “in the strongest terms,” describing it as a dangerous escalation and a blatant breach of international law and the UN Charter, Al Arabiya reports.

The council underscored that an assault on Qatar constitutes an attack on all GCC member states, expressing unequivocal support for Doha’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It further cautioned that the aggression posed a direct threat to regional stability and undermined Qatar’s diplomatic initiatives aimed at brokering a ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of Israeli hostages and detainees.

Among the agreed-upon measures, the council committed to enhancing intelligence sharing through the Unified Military Command, disseminating real-time air situation updates across GCC operational centers, and accelerating efforts within the GCC Joint Task Force for the Early Warning System against ballistic missile threats.

Additionally, the council pledged to update collective defence plans in coordination with the Operations and Training Committee and to conduct joint exercises involving air defence and operations centers within the next three months, followed by live joint aviation drills.

Emphasizing the indivisibility of GCC security under the Joint Defence Agreement, the ministers vowed to maintain comprehensive coordination across military and intelligence channels to reinforce deterrence and safeguard regional security.

The session, chaired by Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan al-Thani, was attended by defence ministers and senior officials from all six GCC states, alongside GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed al-Budaiwi.

By Vafa Guliyeva