President Donald Trump has demanded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledge not to repeat Israel's surprise strike on Qatar, an attack that killed at least six people and jeopardized negotiations to free dozens of hostages still held in Gaza, according to two sources briefed on the conversations.
Trump spoke twice with Netanyahu on Tuesday, expressing disappointment over the decision to bomb Hamas leaders in Doha without prior consultation. "It's unacceptable. I demand that you do not repeat it," Trump told Netanyahu, according to sources familiar with the call. U.S. officials said the White House was "genuinely shocked" by the strike, which took place during a public event at Utah Valley University, and scrambled to reassure Qatari leaders that Washington had not given a green light.
Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, accused Israel of "state terror" and warned that the strike "killed any hope" of securing the release of the remaining 48 hostages still believed to be in Gaza. "I was meeting one of the hostage's families the morning of the attack," he told CNN. "They are counting on this mediation. They have no other hope for that."
Qatar, a close U.S. ally that hosts Hamas' political office at Washington's request, has signaled it will reevaluate its security partnership with the U.S. in the wake of the attack. "After being attacked by both Iran and then Israel within six months, Qatar will conduct a deep evaluation of its security partnership with the U.S. and maybe find some other partners," a source with direct knowledge said.
Netanyahu has remained unapologetic, releasing a video statement Wednesday comparing Israel's strike to the U.S. pursuit of al-Qaeda after the September 11 attacks. "I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don't, we will," Netanyahu said.
The Israeli leader's stance has drawn international criticism and alarm among U.S. officials who fear the attack could further destabilize a volatile region and derail ongoing ceasefire talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt. Hamas confirmed that its Gaza chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya survived the strike but said his son, three bodyguards, and a senior aide were killed.
The strike marked the seventh country Israel has targeted since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, assault that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and triggered the war in Gaza. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed more than 64,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says women and children account for about half of the dead.
European leaders and Gulf states have condemned the Israeli action, warning it risks widening the conflict. Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed is expected to raise the issue at a U.N. Security Council meeting Thursday, part of a diplomatic push to isolate Israel over the attack.
