Qatar PM urges world to 'stop using double standards' and punish Israel

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged the international community on Sunday to "stop using double standards" and punish Israel for what he described as its "crimes".

He was speaking at a preparatory meeting on the eve of an emergency summit of Arab and Islamic leaders organised by Qatar after Israel carried out an unprecedented air strike on Hamas leaders in Doha.

"The time has come for the international community to stop using double standards and to punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed, and Israel needs to know that the ongoing war of extermination that our brotherly Palestinian people is being subjected to, and whose aim is to expel them from their land, will not work," the prime minister said.

On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a visit to Israel by top US diplomat Marco Rubio underscored the strength of ties between the allies, days after an unprecedented Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar drew broad criticism.

President Donald Trump rebuked Israel over the attack in Doha on Tuesday, but before departing Washington on Saturday, Rubio told reporters that while Trump was "not happy" about the strike, it was "not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis".

Nevertheless, the attack has put renewed strain on efforts towards a truce in Gaza, and Rubio acknowledged that the United States and Israel were "going to have to talk about" its impact.

Agencies