The Israeli air assault last week on a Doha compound housing the Hamas political leadership was an extraordinary geopolitical event and will have far reaching ramifications.

This is the first time Israel has attacked a close ally of the United States. The US leadership has feigned ignorance, but the world at large does not believe Washington had no intimation. Israelis now say they had attacked Hamas, not Qatar, but no one is ready to buy that narrative.

Qatar has been a crucial interlocutor in efforts for ceasefire in Gaza along with Egypt and the US. Its role was essential because of its good working relationship with Hamas and its long mediation experience in ending international conflicts. It had earlier successfully mediated between the Afghan Taliban and the US for an end to a protracted conflict in Afghanistan. 

This small country has been able to play a larger-than-life role because of its sanguine leadership building an effective soft image around the globe. A globally recognized bilingual television channel, one of the world’s best airlines and the football World Cup have earned Qatar a great deal of goodwill in the comity of nations in recent years.

It was a generally held belief that the Arab Gulf nations are geopolitically secure. Security arrangements in the Gulf have assured the free flow of energy resources for the international economy. But the Israeli attack in Doha has dealt a severe blow to that sense of security. By the same token, this important development has already set in a new phase of policy rethinking in the region. There is wide ranging empathy for Qatar in the region and beyond.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and condemned the attack as an assault on regional stability. After this he personally went to Doha to express his solidarity with Qatar. At the United Nations (UN) Security Council, where Pakistan is the current chair, an emergency session was called to discuss the dire situation. 

During the proceedings, also addressed by the Qatari Prime Minister, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN unequivocally condemned the attack. Pakistan is also co-sponsoring a joint session of the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) in Doha to deliberate joint action that member countries could take to arrest Israel’s belligerence, increasing by the day.

The US position on the Doha attack has been somewhat ambivalent, despite its condemnation of the strikes at the UN Security Council. A trust deficit is forming. China, it should be recalled, enhanced its regional position after it played a positive role in the restoration of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia last year. The latest developments indicate that China and Russia will now attract greater traction in the region. 

It’s not prudent to conclude the US will be out of the region soon but it may be hard for it to enjoy the confidence of leaders, at least not during the Trump term. Interestingly, the political office of Hamas opened in Doha in 2012 at the explicit request of the US, with a view to having a regular and effective back channel.

For decades, Pakistan has been part of the Gulf security architecture and has played an active role in regional maritime security. Some half -baked analysts have said on social media that Pakistan could be the next target of Israel’s wrath. This is far-fetched to say the least.

The joint action to be deliberated in Doha should be well thought out, realistic and potent. It may include economic action through the boycott of Israeli companies, the denial of air space to Israeli aircrafts and collective diplomatic measures. These are, however, immediate and possibly short-term actions. 

Long-term measures may take decades and must include the technical advancement of Muslim countries through better education. Pakistan can play a role, along with Turkiye, in improving defense training and defense production.

Time is of the essence, and the Muslim world cannot lower its guard. It must get its act together for short and long-term plans in order to make its defense impregnable.