WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump was trying to walk a delicate line following Israel's attack on Hamas officials in Qatar, distancing himself from the strike Tuesday but stopping short of condemning Israel for carrying out an audacious strike on the soil of another major U.S. ally.
Trump said the unilateral action directed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “did not advance Israel or America’s goals." He offered notably muted pushback, however, even suggesting “this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for peace.”
“This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me,” Trump said on social media hours after the strikes.
Trump is seeking to soothe concerns of a Gulf ally that has played a key role in mediating between the U.S. and Iran and its proxies, including during talks with Tehran-backed Hamas as the war with Israel in Gaza grinds on. The U.S. also has about 10,000 troops stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, an installation that serves as the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command.
The president said he directed special envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar of the impending attack in the capital, Doha, after learning about it and that Witkoff was quick to call Qatari officials. But the U.S. alert was, “unfortunately, too late to stop the attack,” Trump said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari refuted in a post on X that the Qataris were given any warning from the U.S.
Qatar has sought closer ties with Trump
The Qataris have sought to deepen their relationship with Trump since his return to office. They have even gifted Trump a $400 million Boeing 747 jet that is to be retrofitted into a new Air Force One. Trump has said the plane will be donated to a future presidential library once his term ends and put on display as a museum piece.
“I view Qatar as a strong Ally and friend of the U.S., and feel very badly about the location of the attack,” Trump said on social media.
At the same time, Qatar, a wealthy nation with an expansive natural gas and oil reserve, has faced scrutiny for its support of Hamas. Prior to the Israel-Hamas war, Doha for years sent millions of dollars per month to the Gaza Strip to prop up Hamas’ governing structure. Qatar has also hosted leaders of the Taliban and the Muslim Brotherhood.
In a carefully worded statement, Trump also made clear that “eliminating Hamas” was a “worthy goal."
Trump's effort to try to assuage Qatar without criticizing Israel comes as he struggles to find an endgame to the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza and win the release of 48 hostages, about 20 who are believed to still be alive.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking at a briefing earlier Tuesday, did not say how long before the Israeli strikes that Qatar was warned.
She, like Trump, also did not address whether there was any concern that the Qataris could, in turn, have forewarned Hamas leaders that the Israeli strike was coming. Hamas says its top leaders survived the Israeli strike and that five lower-ranking members died.
Israeli warning to the US described as vague
The U.S. military was notified about the Israeli strike ahead of time through military channels, but a U.S. official described that notification as very vague.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss sensitive matters, said the notification included the fact that the Israeli military was going to attack Hamas but did not include specifics like a location, which made it insufficient to allow for any timely follow-on warnings to countries in the region.
White House and State Department officials did not respond to requests for comment about the timing or substance of Witkoff’s warning to Qatar.
Jonathan Schanzer, a former counterterrorism analyst at the U.S. Treasury Department, said the White House's public comments may be in part an effort to help Qatar save face and keep its relations steady with the United States.
“It’s damage control,” said Schanzer, who is executive director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington. But he added that the strike could affect the Qataris and their relationship with Hamas moving forward.
“There’s a lot of taking stock right now by all parties,” he said.
Trump talks with both sides
Trump spoke with Netanyahu and Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and other Qatari officials following the strikes.
“I assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil,” Trump said of his conversation with Qatari officials.
Leavitt demurred when asked if there would be any consequences for the Israelis or Netanyahu for the strike that she suggested was unexpected by U.S. officials.
Trump posted on social media Sunday a cryptic warning to Hamas hinting at a new American proposal to exchange all the remaining hostages for Palestinian prisoners and end the war in Gaza.
“I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting,” Trump said. “This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”
Asked if Trump had been hinting at the Doha strike, Leavitt replied, “No, he was not.”
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