Trump Distances Himself from Israeli Strike on Qatar, Says Netanyahu Made the Decision

Washington/Doha — U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was “not happy” about Israel’s airstrike in Doha targeting Hamas political leaders, stressing that the decision was made unilaterally by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Asked about the Middle East situation, Trump said, “I will issue a full statement tomorrow.” According to Al Arabiya’s Washington bureau chief, the president also canceled a press conference where journalists had been expected to raise questions about the attack.

Trump told reporters earlier that the U.S. military had informed him that Israel carried out the strike on Hamas’s headquarters in Doha. “This was Netanyahu’s decision,” he said, adding that unilateral bombing inside Qatar served neither Israeli nor American interests.

The president revealed that he had immediately instructed his envoy, Steve Witkoff, to warn Qatari officials about the imminent strike, but said the message did not reach them in time. He nonetheless suggested the attack could prove to be “an opportunity for peace,” while assuring Qatar’s emir and prime minister that such an incident would not be repeated. Trump also directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a defense cooperation agreement with Doha.

On social media, Trump wrote: “A unilateral strike on Qatar, a sovereign state and close U.S. ally bravely mediating for peace, does not serve Israel’s or America’s objectives.” However, he added that eliminating Hamas — which he accused of exploiting the suffering of Gaza’s civilians — remained “a noble goal.”

Later, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt clarified that Trump had not endorsed Israel’s strike inside Qatar. “While the elimination of Hamas is a worthy objective, the Doha attack was not in the interest of either Israel or the United States,” she told reporters. She emphasized that Trump viewed Qatar as “a strong ally and friend of America” and was deeply concerned about the attack’s location.

Leavitt disclosed that Trump had spoken directly with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu after the strike. She said Washington assured Doha that such unilateral action would not occur again on its territory.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed it had targeted senior Hamas leaders in Doha, claiming those struck had long commanded the group’s operations — including the October 7 assault — and were directly responsible for the ongoing war with Israel. Qatar, however, strongly condemned the strike, saying residential buildings housing Hamas officials had been hit.