Qatar refutes Trump’s claim that U.S. warned the country of Israeli strikes
In response to the Israeli attack on Qatar, which
targeted senior Hamas officials in the country, the Trump administration said
it "feels very bad." The U.S. government claimed it notified Qatar of
the impending attack, a claim Qatar denies.
By Michael Arria September
9, 2025
Qatar is refuting the Trump administration’s claim
that the U.S. warned the country before Israel bombed Hamas ceasefire
negotiators in Doha.
The attack is believed to have targeted lead
negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. Hamas politburo member Suheil al-Hindi told Al
Jazeera that al-Hayya had survived “the cowardly assassination attempt. The
network reported that five “lower-ranked members were killed” in the blast.
“The Trump administration was notified by the United
States military that Israel was attacking Hamas, which very unfortunately, was
located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar,” said White House
spokesperson Karoline Leavitt during a briefing on Tuesday.
Leavitt said President Trump views Qatar as a “friend”
and “feels very badly” about the attack.
“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,” Leavitt told reporters. “However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited
off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”
In a social media post, Qatar Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Majed al-Ansari refuted Leavitt’s claims.
“The statements being circulated about Qatar being
informed of the attack in advance are baseless,” he wrote. “The call from a
U.S. official came during the sound of explosions caused by the Israeli attack
in Doha.”
The Trump administration’s public statements on the
bombing also seemingly contradict statements from senior Israeli officials, who
say that the United States green-lit the attack.
A day before the strike, Trump threatened Hamas in a
Truth Social post.
“The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for
Hamas to accept as well,” he wrote. “I have warned Hamas about the consequences
of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”
A number of U.S. Congress members celebrated Israel’s
attack on ceasefire negotiators.
“To those who planned and cheered on the October 7
attack against Israel, the United States’ greatest ally in the region: This is
your fate,” wrote Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
“Israel is taking out the leaders of a terrorist
organization,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO). “They’ve got a right
to do that.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) posted a dancing Winnie the
Pooh GIF in response to the bombing.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
(D-NY) said he is “concerned” about the strike and that he has requested a
classified briefing on the issue, but few politicians have criticized the
attack up to this point.
One exception was Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA).
“I don’t see how this helps in the release of the
hostages or the end to the war,” he said in an interview.
Israel’s latest escalation has been condemned
throughout the international community.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres called it a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Qatar.”
“Today’s Israeli strikes on Qatar are unacceptable,
whatever the reason,” tweeted French President Emmanuel Macron. “I express my
solidarity with Qatar and its Emir, Sheikh Tamim Al Thani. Under no
circumstances should the war spread throughout the region.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her “sincere support for Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al
Thani and Qatar, reaffirming Italy’s support for all efforts to end the war in
Gaza.”
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s office claimed the Israeli operation was “wholly independent.”
“Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel
takes full responsibility,” claims the statement.
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