&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Not thrilled': Trump blasts Netanyahu in rare rebuke after Qatar air strikes")
US President Donald Trump delivered a rare public reprimand of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday (Sep 9) after Israel carried out air strikes on Hamas targets in Qatar, a key US ally. Trump told reporters he had not authorised or been consulted on the strike, which hit a section of Doha. "I'm not thrilled about the whole situation," he said. However, in a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the same day, said US officials were notified by the military as the strike was underway and that Trump asked his envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar immediately. She confirmed Trump had voiced "very clear concerns" directly to Netanyahu.
What did Trump say about the Qatar strike?
Trump claimed that the United States was caught unawares about the Israeli attack. He said that the White House was "notified by the United States military that Israel was attacking Hamas, which, very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha."
"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".
He said that he "immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did, however, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack."
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Trump added that "The Prime Minister (Netanyahu) told me that he wants to make Peace. I believe this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for PEACE".
However, despite the rebuke, Trump also said Netanyahu had assured him he wanted to "make peace quickly" and suggested the crisis "could serve as an opportunity for peace."
Also read | Trump, once accused of marital rape, dismisses domestic violence as ‘little fight with wife’
Why it matters
Qatar has been a crucial broker in talks on hostages and a possible ceasefire in Gaza, while also hosting the massive US Al Udeid airbase. The Gulf state recently gifted the US president a Boeing 747-8 jet, sparking ethical scrutiny. The Israeli strike risks straining a partnership Trump has sought to deepen.
The fallout
Qatari officials, as per AFP, said they received notice only after explosions had already begun. "The call received from an American official came as explosions sounded from the Israeli attack in Doha," Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari posted on X.
Trump, meanwhile, phoned Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to promise "such a thing will not happen again on their soil," and ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to push ahead with a defence cooperation deal with Doha.
