Arab, Muslim summit offers no major shift, says analyst

Saqib Sheikh, a research scholar at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the summit statement largely repeated condemnations of Israeli actions.

"These points are generally in line with what various Islamic countries have already been saying, so there was no dramatic change.

Some language suggested the possibility of more punitive or deterrent measures against Israel, but nothing was clearly defined," he told AWANI International.

Sheikh said punitive measures against Israel remain under consideration, given the strong security and economic ties many of these countries maintain with the United States, a close ally of Israel.

The extraordinary summit in Doha on 15 September brought together leaders from the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) following an Israeli airstrike on Qatari soil earlier this month.

In a joint statement, participants condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and the Doha strike, urging member states to consider "all possible legal and effective steps" against Israel. The statement also called for a review of diplomatic and economic ties and suggested suspending Israel’s membership in international organisations, including the United Nations.

Leaders raised the possibility of a joint defence mechanism to counter Israeli actions, though Sheikh said such an alliance could take years to materialise. He noted that most Gulf states, including Qatar, remain closely tied to U.S. security and economic arrangements, making a rapid shift toward independent defence frameworks unlikely.

"However, what we are hearing are mixed signals from some countries.

"Qatar, for instance, plans to increase defence spending from USD16 billion to USD25 billion, much of which, they have indicated, will be directed towards China, Russia, and other countries than the U.S. This suggests a degree of flexibility in developing their own security arrangements, which could be a possibility in the long term," he added.

Sheikh said Israel is unlikely to regard the summit as a genuine threat, given its confidence in U.S. backing and continued efforts to block Palestinian statehood. Without coordinated action, he said, Arab and Islamic states may struggle to deter Israel, which continues expanding settlements and reshaping Gaza.

Israeli forces have intensified strikes on Gaza City as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Jerusalem, signalling continued American political support.