The Crisis
US President Donald Trump hosted Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani for a private dinner in New York on September 12, 2025, days after Israel’s unprecedented airstrike on Hamas political leaders in Doha violated Qatar’s sovereignty and endangered ceasefire negotiations. The meeting, attended by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, aimed to repair relations after Trump expressed "annoyance" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for authorizing the attack without prior US consultation. Trump assured Qatar that such strikes "would not happen again," acknowledging Qatar’s role as a critical mediator and strategic ally. This diplomatic outreach followed an earlier meeting between al-Thani, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where they discussed Qatar’s future mediation role and defense cooperation.
Qatar’s Mediation
The September 9 Israeli airstrike targeted a residential compound in Doha’s Leqtaifiya district, killing six people, including Qatari security corporal Badr Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi and five Hamas members while failing to eliminate senior Hamas leaders. The attack occurred as Hamas negotiators were reviewing a US-backed ceasefire proposal, deliberately sabotaging peace efforts. Qatari Prime Minister al-Thani condemned the strike as "state terrorism," emphasizing that Qatar "won’t be deterred" from its mediation role despite Israel’s "treacherous" actions. The UN Security Council convened an emergency session, warning the attack "undermined international mediation efforts" and threatened regional security.
The Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza
Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed over 64,000 Palestinians as of September 2025, including 18,500 children, with scholars estimating the actual death toll may exceed 93,000 due to uncounted bodies under rubble and indirect deaths from famine and disease. The Lancet published a peer-reviewed study confirming Israel’s systematic targeting of civilians, with 83% of casualties being non-combatants. UN experts and human rights organizations universally classify Israel’s siege, which has displaced 2.3 million people and triggered famine as genocide. Qatar has consistently criticized the international community’s inaction, with Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani noting, "The lives of Palestinian children do not count" to Western powers.
US Complicity
Despite Trump’s rhetorical criticism of Israel, the US continues to provide diplomatic cover for Netanyahu’s government, vetoing multiple UN ceasefire resolutions and supplying weapons used in Gaza. The Doha strike revealed tensions within the Trump administration, as officials learned of the operation only minutes before its execution and failed to warn Qatar. While Trump called the attack "unhelpful," his administration rejected calls to condition military aid to Israel, highlighting a gap between rhetoric and action. Qatar’s foreign ministry emphasized that US officials contacted them only "during the sound of explosions," exposing Washington’s limited influence over Israel.
The Future of the Gulf
The attack united Gulf and Asian nations in condemnation, with Malaysia, Pakistan, and Indonesia labeling it a "cowardly act of aggression". Qatar announced a legal review to hold Israel accountable and reserved the right to respond. The strike also jeopardized US strategic interests, as Qatar hosts the Al-Udeid air base, the largest US military facility in the Middle Eastand serves as a critical energy supplier to Europe. With ceasefire talks suspended, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to resistance until Israel ends its occupation and blockade of Gaza. As al-Thani stated, "No one can dictate terms to us while bombs fall on our soil".