Trump Vows Israeli Strikes in Qatar Won’t Happen Again After Doha Attack

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

JERUSALEM/DOHA/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday rushed to assure Qatar that Israel would not carry out another strike on its soil after the Israeli military launched a rare airstrike in Doha targeting Hamas leaders.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump personally spoke with Qatar’s emir and prime minister following the attack. “He also spoke to the emir and prime minister of Qatar and thanked them for their friendship to our country. He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil,” Leavitt told reporters.

She described the strike as a setback to Washington’s goals. “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,” she said.

At the same time, Leavitt said the White House supported Israel’s aim to dismantle Hamas. “Eliminating Hamas — who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza — is a worthy goal,” she added.

Leavitt confirmed the Trump administration was notified of the strike by the U.S. military shortly before it occurred. “This morning, the Trump administration was notified by the U.S. military that Israel was attacking Hamas, which unfortunately was located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar,” she said. “President Trump immediately directed special envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did.” She did not say whether Israel had informed the president ahead of the strike.

Leavitt emphasized Trump’s personal concern. “The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of the attack,” she said.

PROLONGING SUFFERING

She accused Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by both Israel and the United States, of prolonging suffering. “President Trump wants all of the hostages and the bodies of the dead and this war to end now,” Leavitt stressed.

She added that Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told him, “He wants to make peace quickly.”

Trump himself, according to Leavitt, “believes this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for peace.”

Qatar condemned the airstrike as a “cowardly attack and flagrant violation of international law.” The Gulf state, which has hosted Hamas’ political leadership for years, warned that the strike jeopardized mediation efforts.

At the United Nations, diplomats said the attack had cast a shadow over ceasefire talks. Leaders from France, Britain, Germany, Turkey, and Egypt criticized Israel for striking inside a sovereign nation, while Iran called it evidence of what it described as Western double standards.

The strike underscored tensions between Israel and its closest ally. While Trump reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Israel’s security, he made clear that “such unilateral action inside Qatar” should not be repeated.

It came just hours after a Hamas-praised shooting at a Jerusalem bus stop on Monday killed six people and wounded at least 21 others. Among the dead were 25-year-old Yaakov Pinto, who had recently immigrated from Spain; Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Pash, a teacher at a Jerusalem yeshiva (a Jewish religious school for the study of sacred texts); Israel Mentzer, 28, and Yosef David, 43, both residents of the Ramot neighborhood. Two additional wounded victims, including a woman in her 50s, later died of their injuries.

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