U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday again addressed Israel’s strike in Doha, the capital of Qatar, carried out as part of a targeted operation against Hamas leaders that so far appears unsuccessful. Speaking to reporters in New Jersey before returning to the White House, Trump urged caution, saying, “they [Israel] have to be very, very careful.”
Asked what message he had for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump replied: “They have to do something about Hamas. But Qatar has been a great ally to the United States. A lot of people don’t know that. I told the emir, ‘You need better public relations.’ People talk of them so badly.” He added, “Israel and everybody else, we have to be careful. When we attack people, we have to be careful.”
Trump says Israel has to be 'very, very careful' after strike on Qatar
(Video: Fox News)
Following the bombing of a villa in Doha, Trump distanced himself from the strike in a post on his Truth Social platform, writing: “This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me.” Later, speaking with reporters in Washington, he said he felt "very badly" about the Israeli strike in Qatar.
In a separate Truth Social post that day, Trump wrote 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.” While he called eliminating Hamas “a worthy goal,” he said he had instructed special envoy Steve Witkoff to notify Qatari officials of the strike but that it was “unfortunately, too late to stop the attack.”
The fallout has prompted Qatar to convene an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Monday. Reuters reported that a draft of the summit’s resolution warns that the Israeli strike endangers Israel’s ties with Arab states. The language, widely understood as a reference to nations that have normalized relations with Israel, cautions that the attack threatens both “existing agreements” and any future accords.
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Aftermath of Israeli airstrike on villa in Doha, Qatar where Hamas leader were believed to be staying
(Photo: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa)
An excerpt of the draft resolution seen by Reuters said "the brutal Israeli attack on Qatar and the continuation of Israel's hostile acts including genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, siege, and colonizing activities and expansion policies threatens prospects of peace and coexistence in the region."
These actions threaten "everything that has been achieved on the path of normalizing ties with Israel including current agreements and future ones," according to the draft, which was drawn up by foreign ministers meeting ahead of the summit.
Leaders from Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states are expected to attend the summit.