U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to distance Washington from Israel’s airstrike on Doha, Qatar, which took place Tuesday and sparked anger across the Gulf region. The strike, aimed at eliminating Hamas leadership, has drawn what amounts to the closest expression of condemnation yet from the Trump administration toward its Israeli ally.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump stated: “This morning, 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. This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me.”
Trump emphasized that bombing inside a sovereign U.S. ally—particularly one engaged in sensitive mediation efforts—did not serve the goals of either Washington or Tel Aviv. He nonetheless reiterated that dismantling Hamas remained a “worthy goal,” even as he expressed regret that the operation had unfolded on Qatari soil.
The president added that he had directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to alert Qatari officials of the impending strike, but the warning came too late to prevent the attack. He also disclosed that he had spoken with both Qatari leaders and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the incident, stressing to Doha that such an event would not occur again and instructing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a Defense Cooperation Agreement with Qatar.
The Israeli operation targeted a gathering of Hamas’s Political Bureau, a five-man council that directs the group’s political strategy. The strike killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer but failed to eliminate senior leaders, including Khalil Mashal and Khalil al-Hayya, who were reportedly present at the time.
The fallout was immediate. Qatar announced its withdrawal from mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas, casting doubt on the future of negotiations just as Israel prepares for a possible ground operation in Gaza City. Trump’s attempt to balance support for Israel with reassurances to Doha underscores the growing strain on U.S. diplomacy in the region.