The story: The Hamas movement’s Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel has sparked diverse reactions from Gulf Arab states. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which normalized relations with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords, have adopted a cautious tone. Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar have blamed the violence on Israeli policies. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has reacted to the bloodshed by reaching out to the Palestinian Authority as well as regional and international stakeholders. This comes as some view the Palestinian offensive as partly a response to the Israeli-Saudi effort to normalize relations.

The coverage: In separate phone calls with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the King of Jordan and Egypt’s president, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince reportedly expressed solidarity with Palestinians and a...