&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "UAE summons Israeli diplomat over strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar amid regional tensions")
The United Arab Emirates has officially summoned Israeli Deputy Head of Mission David Ohad Horsandi to protest Israel’s recent strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, according to Israeli media. The move signals deepening rifts between the two countries, whose ties were normalised under the 2020 Abraham Accords. The diplomatic protest follows Israel’s attempted assassination of senior Hamas figures long based in Qatar — an action that has drawn sharp international backlash. Abu Dhabi condemned the strike as a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and a dangerous provocation.
Tensions had already been mounting between the UAE and Israel over previous Israeli threats to annex parts of the West Bank—a step the UAE previously warned would cross a “red line.” On Wednesday (September 10), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated rhetoric, urging Qatar to either expel or prosecute Hamas leaders residing in its territory, warning that if Qatar did not act, Israel would.
The UAE criticised Netanyahu’s remarks as “hostile,” and President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan has since launched a regional diplomatic tour to coordinate a collective Gulf response to the incident. According to reports, the UAE is considering a Qatari request to close its embassy in Tel Aviv. Simultaneously, frustration with Israeli Ambassador Yossi Shelley has grown in Abu Dhabi due to alleged protocol violations and security lapses. Qatar, which has been facilitating negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release, is hosting an emergency Arab-Islamic summit this Sunday and Monday to address the Israeli operation and its broader consequences.
In a statement issued by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affair, it said, "Her Excellency Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, summoned the Israeli Deputy Head of Mission in the United Arab Emirates, David Ohad Horsandi, to strongly condemn and denounce the blatant and cowardly Israeli attack that targeted the State of Qatar, as well as the hostile statements made by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Her Excellency emphasized that this reckless aggression constitutes a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, a grave breach of international law and the UN Charter, and an irresponsible escalation that threatens regional and international peace and security."
