US President Donald Trump Denounces Israeli Strike on Qatar
The decision by the Israeli entity to carry out a strike on Qatar was made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday, denying any US involvement and adding that a unilateral attack on Doha, a Washington ally, served neither American nor Israeli interests.
Background on the Strike
The Israeli entity claimed that the strike, which took place on Tuesday, aimed to assassinate leaders of the Hamas political bureau based in Doha, marking a new escalation of Israeli military operations across the Middle East. This attack has been widely criticized in the region and beyond, with French President Emmanuel Macron condemning the strikes as "unacceptable." "War must not spread to the region," he wrote on social media platform X.
US Involvement and Response
The White House reported that Donald Trump asked his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to warn Qatar that an attack was imminent, but it was too late to prevent the strike. However, Doha denied being warned in advance, stating that a phone call was made by an American representative while explosions were already underway.
Trump's Statement
"Unilaterally bombing Qatar, a sovereign nation and close US ally that works hard and takes courageous risks alongside us to negotiate peace, does not advance Israel's or America's goals," Donald Trump said via his social media platform, Truth. "However, eliminating Hamas, which profits from the suffering of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal," he added.
Consequences of the Attack
The Hamas movement stated that five of its members were killed in the Israeli attack on Doha, including the son of Khalil al-Hayya, the exiled leader of the Palestinian armed movement. As a key US ally in the Gulf, Qatar has been leading indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave.
Trump's Conversations with Leaders
Donald Trump revealed that he spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, after the attack, assuring the latter that "such a thing will not happen again" on Qatari soil. The US President expressed feeling "very bad" about the fact that a strike was carried out against Qatar. Later in the day, speaking to journalists, the White House chief expressed his discontent with the Israeli attack. "I'm not thrilled," he said. "It's not a good thing... We want to get the hostages back, but we're not thrilled with how things went down today."
