US President Donald Trump has said that Israel’s decision to strike Hamas leadership in Qatar was made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and not by the Republican leader.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”
The US President added that he views Qatar as a strong ally of Washington and feels “very badly about the location of the attack”.
Trump’s remarks come hours after the White House clarified that the US President did not agree with Israel’s choice to conduct strikes against Hamas inside Qatar, an ally of Washington.
“The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of this attack,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Israeli strikes in Qatar
Qatar saw multiple explosions in the capital Doha on Tuesday, as Israel launched unprecedented strikes on senior Hamas leaders.
The Palestinian militant group said six people were killed in the strikes, including a son of its top negotiator, but that its senior leaders had survived. Qatar said one of its security officers also died.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the move against the Iran-backed group was “a wholly independent Israeli operation.”
Qatar, however, condemned the attack on Hamas’ political headquarters, with its foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari calling the strike “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms”.
The emirate’s prime minister also said it reserved the right to respond to the Israeli attack, which it said constituted a “pivotal moment” for region.
“We believe that today we have reached a pivotal moment,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told a press conference. “There must be a response from the entire region to such barbaric actions.”
