Trump rebukes Israel over Doha strike on Hamas
Before the IDF hit Hamas leaders in Doha, Jerusalem warned it was set to strike the group’s leaders abroad.
Israel sent pointed warnings to Hamas ahead of its targeted strike on a meeting of the group’s leaders in Doha, with Jerusalem warning the militants as recently as last night that it was set to strike “Hamas murderers and rapists … in luxury hotels abroad.”
Overnight (AEST), Israeli jets targeted a site in Qatar’s capital where it was believed Hamas’s top political leaders, including senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, were gathered in a meeting. According to Hamas, Mr Hayya’s son was killed but other leaders were unhurt.
Hours before the jets launched their strike, Defence Minister Israel Katz warned on his X account: “Today a huge hurricane will hit the skies of Gaza City and the roofs of the terror towers will shake. This is a final warning to the Hamas murderers and rapists in Gaza and in luxury hotels abroad: Release the hostages and lay down your weapons or Gaza will be destroyed and you will be destroyed.”
Israeli Defence Forces chief Eyal Zamir also stressed the military was willing to go after Hamas outside the borders of Gaza. After the IDF assassinated the militant group’s spokesman Abu Obeida in a Gaza strike at the end of August, Major-General Zamir said: “Most of the Hamas government sits abroad – we will reach them too,” added: “The IDF operates offensively, with initiative and operational superiority in all arenas and at all times.”
Earlier, Donald Trump the attack was Jerusalem’s decision as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he didn’t tell the Trump administration ahead of the strikes.
The Tuesday night (AEST) attack targeted a site in Qatar’s capital where it was believed Hamas’s top political leaders, including senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, were gathered in a meeting. According to Hamas, Mr Hayya’s son was killed but other leaders were unhurt.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said the 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”.
He said this was a decision made by Mr Netanyahu, stressing “it was not a decision made by me”.
While he had instructed his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to inform Qatar of the attack, Mr Trump said it was “too late to stop the attack”.
Speaking at an event at the US embassy in Jerusalem, Mr Netanyahu said: “Israel acted wholly independently. This can open an end of the war in Gaza.”
Qatari Prime Minister Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani condemned the Israeli strike on Doha as “state terrorism”, warning that Qatar would not tolerate violations of its sovereignty.
Mr Thani said Doha was told of the attack 16 minutes after it started, adding the Israeli air force used weapons that couldn’t be detected by radar.
Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the President felt “very badly” about the location of the attack and disagreed with it, with Mr Trump arguing the strike failed to advance the interests of either America or the Jewish state.
Ms Leavitt also said the Trump administration was “notified by the United States military that Israel was attacking Hamas” and was not directly informed by the Israeli Prime Minister himself. She said Mr Witkoff warned Qatar ahead of the strike.
However, Doha rejected the claim as “baseless,” with the Foreign Ministry saying in a statement it only found out about it when the attack was already taking place.
Ms Leavitt stressed that the Israeli attack on Hamas was “located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar” and that “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”.
Following the attack, the US President spoke to Mr Netanyahu as well as Qatari leaders. Mr Trump told Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Prime Minister Al Thani there would be no more attacks on Qatari soil.
However, Qatar told Washington it was temporarily suspending its mediation efforts due to the attack.
Doha condemned the attack, calling it a “criminal assault” that “constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms”.
“The state of Qatar … will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour and the ongoing disruption of regional security,” it added.
In her press briefing, Ms Leavitt said “eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal” but made clear that Mr Trump “views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States”.
Qatar is home to the Al Udeid Air Base, which serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command and hosts about 10,000 US personnel. The base was used as a launch point for US military operations in the recent airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites.
Ms Leavitt said Mr Trump wanted “all of the hostages in Gaza and the bodies of the dead released, and this war to end now”. But she said the President was optimistic the episode could serve as a new opportunity for peace.
“President Trump also spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu after the attack. The Prime Minister told President Trump that he wants to make peace and quickly,” she said. “President Trump believes this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for peace.”
“The President also spoke to the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar, and thanked them for their support and friendship to our country. He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”
Ms Leavitt made clear that Mr Trump, after learning of the Israeli strike, had “immediately directed special envoy Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did”.
“The President views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of this attack,” she said.
In his conversation with Mr Netanyahu, Ms Leavitt said that Mr Trump “stressed the importance of peace in the region”.
“He (Mr Netanyahu) told President Trump he wants peace and he wants it quickly. That’s what the President expects to happen,” she said.
Qatar, which has been operating as a key mediator in the negotiations aimed at securing a peace between Hamas and Israel following the October 7, 2023, attacks on the Jewish nation, has already condemned the strike in Doha.
Qatari officials said the attack was targeted against Hamas leaders Mr Hayya and Mr Jabarin, but details are still emerging.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had earlier warned Hamas leaders abroad that they would be “annihilated” if the group didn’t lay down its arms.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the Israeli strikes were “unacceptable regardless of motive”, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the attack violated Qatar’s sovereignty and risked “further escalation” in the volatile region.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the attack “not only violates Qatar’s territorial sovereignty, but also jeopardises all our efforts to secure the release of the hostages”.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the strikes were “the wrong thing to do … because it violates Qatar’s sovereignty”.
“It has been the country so involved in negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. That is what we all want,” Senator Wong told Nine News.
“It’s a US ally. It’s been working with the United States to try and bring about a ceasefire and see the hostages released.”
She said the attack “imperils” a potential ceasefire and the “threat of wider escalation now looms”.
Asked whether what she thought the “end game” was for Mr Netanyahu, Senator Wong said: “I think that is a very good question because so many countries around the world have peace, we want a ceasefire.
“You know, we know what is happening in Gaza. We understand where this war began with the horrific events of October 7th.
“But after many, many months, and so many civilian deaths and so many calls from countries for hostage release and ceasefire, we simply are continuing to assert with the international community to all sides, this is what needs to happen.”
With AFP
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout