Trump Rebukes Netanyahu Over Israeli Strikes in Qatar, Denies U.S. Involvement

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a rare public criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday after Israel launched strikes against Hamas targets in Qatar, a key American ally and mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to a Washington restaurant, Trump distanced himself from the attack and stressed he was not informed ahead of time.

“I’m not thrilled about the whole situation,” Trump said. “We want the hostages back, but we are not thrilled about the way that went down today.”

The strikes came as Qatar, host of a major U.S. airbase and central to negotiations between Israel and Hamas, continues to play a crucial role in Middle East diplomacy. The Gulf state also recently gifted Washington a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet for Trump’s use, raising ethical questions.

“This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me,” Trump later wrote on social media. “I view Qatar as a strong Ally and friend of the U.S., and feel very badly about the location of the attack — though eliminating Hamas is still a worthy goal.”

The White House confirmed it was “caught unawares” by the strikes, with Trump saying: “I 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.”

Trump spoke with Netanyahu afterward, saying: “The Prime Minister told me that he wants to make Peace. I believe this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for PEACE.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump conveyed his “very clear” concerns directly to Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, insisted U.S.-Israel unity remained intact: “We have acted together in the past, we’ll act together in the future,” he told Fox News.

Qatar’s foreign ministry, however, accused Israel of launching the strikes without prior warning. “The call received from an American official came as explosions sounded from the Israeli attack in Doha,” spokesman Majed al-Ansari said.

In response, Trump said he had instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a defense cooperation agreement with Qatar and reassured Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that “such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”

Qatar has increasingly found itself in the crosshairs of regional tensions. In June, Iran launched missiles at the U.S. Al Udeid airbase near Doha in retaliation for American strikes on its nuclear facilities.