Although Mohammed bin Zayed, president of the United Arab Emirates, was far from close to Qatar's government, he was nevertheless the first leader of a Gulf state to travel to Doha on Wednesday, September 10, the day after Israeli strikes hit a building in the Qatari capital city, which housed Hamas political leaders involved in negotiations on the war in Gaza.

The visit by bin Zayed, a regional heavyweight figure, underscored the shockwave that had rippled across the Gulf, and rocked the broader Middle East, after the unprecedented attack, which struck the territory of a country that had believed that its status as a major United States ally protected it. Kuwait, meanwhile, sent its crown prince to Qatar as a gesture of solidarity. Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was due to arrive on Thursday.

Shortly after the explosions rocked Doha on Tuesday, the Arab Gulf states harshly condemned the Israeli raid. Saudi Arabia denounced Israel's "persistence in its criminal transgressions," while the Sultanate of Oman slammed a "provocative aggression" and a "dangerous escalation that threatens the security and stability of the region."

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