President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he wasn't "thrilled" by Israel's strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, but added he did not feel blindsided by the operation.
Trump Criticizes Strike, Promises Fuller Statement Wednesday
"I'm not thrilled, I'm not thrilled about it," he told reporters, according to a Reuters report. "I'm not thrilled about the whole situation, it's not a good situation. But, I will say this, we want the hostages back, but we are not thrilled about the way that went down."
Asked if the attack surprised him, Trump said, "I'm never surprised by anything, especially when it comes to the Middle East." He said he would deliver a fuller statement on Wednesday and was "very unhappy about every aspect."
White House Details Notification Amid Qatar Reaction
The White House said Israel notified the U.S. military of a plan to strike Hamas but did not specify the location in advance. Trump said in a social media post that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unilateral strike "did not advance Israel or America's goals," but offered muted pushback, adding that "this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for peace."
He stressed "this was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me," called Qatar "a strong Ally and friend of the U.S." and said he felt "very badly about the location of the attack," while also declaring that "eliminating Hamas" is a "worthy goal."
Attack Puts Regional Mediation Efforts Under Strain
A separate Associated Press report states that Trump said he directed special envoy Steve Witkoff to alert Qatari officials but the warnings arrived too late. A Qatar official countered in an X post that it learned of the attack only once missiles hit the building.
The strike, which Qatar and regional partners condemned, risked derailing mediation efforts that Doha has led for months. Al Jazeera claims at least five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer were killed, while Hamas claimed senior leaders survived. The episode adds new strain to U.S.-Qatar ties even as Washington leans on Doha for back-channel diplomacy.
Trump has taken a prominent personal role on Middle East issues this year. He has said a broad Israel-Iran ceasefire was "not on the table," urged Israel "not going to attack Iran" and discussed a framework with Netanyahu to end the Gaza war and expand the Abraham Accords.
Photo Courtesy: Brian Jason on Shutterstock.com
Read Next:
