Trump rebukes Netanyahu over Qatar strike as Israel vows to hunt down surviving Hamas leaders
Qatar’s foreign ministry said hosting the Hamas office had been done transparently and at the request of the US and Israel.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said hosting the Hamas office had been done transparently and at the request of the US and Israel.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said hosting the Hamas office had been done transparently and at the request of the US and Israel.
US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his decision to target Hamas leaders inside Qatar was “not wise,” the Wall Street Journal reported, after an Israeli airstrike on Doha on Tuesday sparked international outrage and fears of a collapse in ceasefire talks.
According to US officials, Trump made the remarks during a heated call on Tuesday, warning that Netanyahu’s action risked undermining both American and Israeli interests. Netanyahu reportedly defended the timing, saying he had only a brief window to act, before a second call later in the day turned cordial.
The strike, which Hamas said killed five of its members including the son of senior official Khalil al-Hayya, but missed its top political leaders, marked the first time Israel had attacked the Qatari capital. Qatar, which has been mediating negotiations alongside Egypt, denounced Netanyahu’s “reckless” threats and said the operation violated its sovereignty.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said hosting the Hamas office had been done transparently and at the request of the US and Israel. “Netanyahu’s insinuation that Qatar secretly harboured Hamas is a desperate attempt to justify a crime condemned by the entire world,” it said, warning that the attack threatened to derail mediation efforts.
The Doha strike triggered a flurry of diplomacy. Leaders from the UAE, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are expected in Doha this week in a show of solidarity. The UN Security Council postponed a planned Wednesday meeting until Thursday at the request of Qatar so the country’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, could attend. Al-Thani told CNN on Wednesday that a response to Israel's attacks was being discussed with regional partners and leaders would meet in Doha in the near future. When asked if Doha would shut down Hamas' political office, he said his government was "reassessing everything" about what steps it would take. "We are in a very detailed conversation with the United States' government and we need to understand what will be the way forward," he said.
Will kill Hamas leaders next time if they survived: Israel official
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, speaking in Washington, vowed Hamas leaders would be pursued again if they survived. “We have put terrorists on notice, wherever they may be … we’re going to destroy those who will destroy us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Israel expanded its regional campaign with new strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. The Houthis have been targeting Red Sea shipping in what they call solidarity with Palestinians.
The European Commission said it would propose sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers and consider suspending trade measures, reflecting growing EU frustration over the war in Gaza. Even Germany, one of Israel’s strongest allies, said it would discuss possible action.
The strike’s impact on ceasefire negotiations is uncertain. Hamas has demanded an end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for releasing hostages, while Netanyahu insists on an all-or-nothing deal involving Hamas’s surrender.
The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, has since left more than 64,000 Palestinians dead, according to local health authorities.
(With Reuters inputs.)