Iran president urges Muslim countries to cut ties with Israel 

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday urged Muslim countries to cut ties with Israel ahead of a summit responding to an unprecedented Israeli strike on Hamas members in Qatar.

“It is possible that Islamic countries cut their ties with this fake regime and maintain unity and cohesion as much as possible,” Pezeshkian said before departing for Doha, adding that he hoped the summit would “reach a conclusion” on measures against Israel.

Monday’s emergency gathering of Arab and Islamic leaders will serve as a show of unity among Gulf countries and seek to pile pressure on Israel, which is already facing mounting calls to bring an end to the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Among the leaders expected at Monday’s summit are Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas arrived in Doha on Sunday.

According to Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, Monday’s meeting will consider “a draft resolution on the Israeli attack on the State of Qatar”.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Al Jazeera on Sunday that the question of Israel’s behaviour “is no longer just a Palestine-Israel issue”.

“The biggest problem right now is Israeli expansionism in the region,” he said.

“Arab and Islamic countries must come together and find a solution based on this newly defined problem.”

Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the region, and plays a key mediation role in the Israel-Hamas war, alongside the United States and Egypt.

Hamas politburo member Bassem Naim said the movement hoped the summit would produce “a decisive and unified Arab-Islamic position”.