The attack, which Hamas says killed five of its members but not its leadership, has prompted US-allied Gulf Arab states to close ranks, adding to strains in ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, which normalised relations in 2020.

The emergency summit, bringing together members of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, began with a meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday to discuss a draft resolution.

The gathering is a message that “Qatar is not alone and that Arab and Islamic states stand by it,” Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.