US President Donald Trump has stepped back from Israel’s recent airstrike on Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital, Doha, making it clear that his administration wasn’t calling the shots. The attack happened while Hamas was talking about a US-proposed ceasefire in Gaza, and it sparked a quick blame game between the US, Israel, and Qatar.
Trump took to Truth Social to explain, saying, “This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me.” He admitted the unilateral bombing in Qatar “does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” but stressed that “eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.” Sounds like a tough spot for everyone involved in this Israel-Hamas conflict.
According to Trump, his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff tried to warn the Qataris, but “unfortunately,” it came “too late to stop the attack.” The White House backed this up earlier, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters that “President Trump immediately directed Special Envoy Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did.”
But Qatar isn’t buying it. They’re furious about the Israeli airstrike in Doha and called the US claims “baseless.” Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, fired back on X (formerly Twitter): “The statements being circulated about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are baseless. The communication received from one of the American officials came during the sound of explosions resulting from the Israeli attack in Doha.” Ouch—that’s some real tension in US-Qatar relations right there.
The Israeli military hit Hamas’ political headquarters in Doha on Tuesday. Hamas leaders were discussing the Gaza ceasefire proposal at the time, but the group says no senior officials were killed in the strike. It’s a bold move amid ongoing efforts to end the violence in Gaza.
Trying to smooth things over, Trump reached out to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani after the incident. He promised Qatar that “such a thing will not happen again on their soil” and called them a “strong ally and friend of the US.” Trump even directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to wrap up a Defense Cooperation Agreement with Qatar to keep ties strong.
This Qatar airstrike drama highlights the tricky alliances in the Middle East, especially with the Israel-Hamas war dragging on. Stay tuned as more details emerge on how this affects ceasefire talks and US foreign policy.
