DOHA Qatar's foreign minister implicitly admitted on Tuesday that an Israeli trade office in Doha was still operating despite its announced closure in November on the eve of an Islamic summit.

"Qatar's positions are not contradictory," Sheikh Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani was quoted by AFP as telling journalists when asked how Doha could convene a meeting of Islamic foreign ministers to condemn Israel while at the same time hosting an Israeli trade office.

"The positions of Qatar, however, can be more frank than necessary, something which pushes others to say that our positions are contradictory," he said without denying that the trade office was still operational.

The two Israeli staff are still in the Persian Gulf Arab state, an employee of the office disclosed to AFP earlier this month.

Under pressure of a boycott by key participants because of the Israeli presence in Doha, Qatar announced the closure of the trade office on November 9, a day before a summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

But according to an Arab diplomat in the Persian Gulf, "the Israelis of the trade office never left Qatar."

On Monday, Qatar called for OIC foreign ministers to hold an urgent meeting in Doha to discuss the "dangerous" escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Jewish state's "savage aggressions".

Sheikh Hamad, meanwhile, also defended his call in early may for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to hold a meeting in the Qatari capital.

"Let Sharon come to Qatar if that can resolve the problem and bring a halt to the tragedy in the Palestinian territories," the foreign minister said, renewing the invitation.

"We haven't invited Sharon to come for a stroll in Qatar. We haven't invited him to discuss economic issues and questions concerning Qatar and Israel. On that level, our relations are currently frozen," he said.

"The limits on relations between Qatar and Israel are well known," said Sheikh Hamad, adding that Sharon had yet to respond to the invitation.