US President Donald Trump voiced strong disapproval of Israel’s recent airstrike in Qatar, which targeted senior Hamas leaders, marking a significant escalation in the Middle East. The US condemned the attack, with the State Department labeling it a unilateral strike that undermines both American and Israeli interests.
Trump stated that he was “very unhappy about every aspect” of the Israeli operation and promised to release a full statement on the matter. “I’m not thrilled about it,” Trump remarked as he entered a Washington restaurant. “It’s not a good situation but I will say this: We want the hostages back, but we’re not thrilled about the way it went down today.”
While Israel defended the airstrike as justified, Qatar accused Israel of “state terrorism,” with Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani claiming the attack jeopardized the peace talks Qatar has been mediating between Israel and Hamas.
Although Trump acknowledged the value of targeting Hamas, he expressed regret over the operation’s location in Qatar, a close US ally in the Gulf and a base for Hamas’s political operations. He also criticised the timing of the strike, which came at a crucial juncture in the ongoing peace efforts.
The attack received widespread condemnation from several Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, as well as the European Union. There were concerns that the airstrike could undermine both Gaza ceasefire talks and Trump’s broader goal of achieving a negotiated resolution to the conflict.
Qatar, a strategic security partner of the US and host of the al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military facility in the region, has also been involved in ceasefire negotiations. Hamas confirmed the deaths of five of its members, including the son of exiled leader Khalil al-Hayya, and claimed that the attack targeted its ceasefire negotiation team.
Trump later revealed that his administration had received a warning from the US military about the strike before it occurred, but he did not clarify whether it was Israel that alerted Washington.
“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Trump wrote on social media. “However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”
Hamas representative Suhail al-Hindi confirmed that the group’s top leadership had survived the airstrike. The attack occurred after Israel issued warnings for Palestinians to evacuate Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera.
Qatar rejected Trump’s claim that it had been notified of the attack prior to its occurrence. The Qatari government stated that reports suggesting an early warning were false and confirmed that the call from US officials came only after explosions were heard in Doha.
“Qatar reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack and will take all necessary measures to respond,” al-Thani said. One member of Qatar’s internal security forces was killed in the Israeli attack, and injured others, according to the country.
The Israeli military reported that the airstrike targeted key Hamas leaders, including Khalil al-Hayya. Israeli officials are still assessing whether any Hamas leaders were killed in the attack. US officials disclosed that Israel informed the US military shortly before the operation, but no coordination or approval was sought from Washington.
In response to the strike, Trump called Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to reassure him that such an incident would not recur on Qatari soil. Trump also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation.
This incident follows Trump’s visit to Qatar in May, where he stayed near the location of Tuesday’s airstrike.
