GCC nations announce joint defense measures after Israeli strike on Doha
GCC nations announce joint defense measures after Israeli strike on Doha
The Israeli strike on a compound in Doha earlier this month has shaken up the Gulf in a way not seen in years. It hit a residential area where Hamas negotiators were staying, killing several of them along with a Qatari security officer. For Qatar, this was not just an attack on foreign militants. It was a strike inside its capital, a blatant violation of their sovereignty.
That is what pushed the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) into action. The GCC—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar—called an emergency meeting and came out with a rare show of unity. They basically said: if you hit one of us, you deal with all of us.
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The measures announced include tighter intelligence sharing, linking air defense centers, building a regional early warning system, more joint drills, and updated defense playbooks. In short, they want to close the gaps that Israel just exposed.
Of course, turning promises into action is complicated. The Gulf states buy weapons from American, European, and Asian systems, which don’t always sync. The political angle is messy too: some of these states have normalized ties with Israel while threatening collective retaliation.
Still, it feels like a line has been crossed. For years, the Gulf’s biggest threats were Iran, proxy groups, and missile attacks from Yemen. An Israeli strike in the heart of Doha is a different kind of shock, one that may push the GCC to take joint defense more seriously.
The diplomatic angle is also critical. Qatar has been hosting mediation talks between Israel and Hamas, but that role is now under pressure. Some argue the GCC backing strengthens Doha’s hand; others say it undercuts credibility. Both may be true.
In the short term, the Gulf countries want to show unity. Whether that deters anyone is unclear, but it definitely raises the stakes. In a region where small incidents spiral fast, that’s something everyone will watch.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the author and do not reflect the official stance, policies, or perspectives of the Platform.
