Trump 'blessed' Israeli strikes on Qatar, sources say
US President Donald Trump “blessed” Israel’s attack on Doha, Qatar which targeted senior Hamas officials, US and regional officials have told Middle East Eye.
The bombings look set to usher in a new chapter of instability for the Middle East.
According to media reports, around 12 air strikes hit residential buildings in Doha at around 4pm local time.
Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled Meshal, Zaher Jabarin and other senior Hamas officials survived the attack, MEE reported.
The attack killed Hayya’s son, Hammam al-Hayya, and his office director, Jihad Lubbad, sources told MEE. Several others were wounded.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Both regional and US officials said the US was notified of the attack in advance.
The White House later confirmed on Tuesday that it was notified beforehand of the Israeli attack.
The White House said that Trump believes Israel's strike on Hamas targets in Qatar was unfortunate and he directed his top envoy, Steve Witkoff, to warn Qatar that the attack was incoming.
“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 told reporters, reading from a statement.
Trump spoke with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani after the attack.
Netanyahu's office said the attack was "a wholly independent Israeli operation," adding that, "Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility."
Some US officials who would normally be in contact with the US operations centre in Doha reported radio silence to MEE, implying that communications went dark to facilitate the operation.
It’s unclear what specific projectiles Israel used to attack Doha, but the US and Qatar both coordinate air defence – as they did when Iran targeted the United States' Al-Udeid base in June.
A separate US official told MEE that given the recent Iranian strikes and tensions in the region, security in Qatar – including advanced air defence warnings – would be activated.
The US ambassador's residence is located in Doha’s Katara District, which was targeted by Israel.
Qatar, which is a major non-Nato ally of the US, strongly condemned what it described as the “cowardly Israeli attack".
Qatar's interior ministry said on Monday that a member of its internal security forces, Corporal Bader Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi al-Dosari, was killed in the attack and that other security personnel were also wounded.
Swift condemnation also followed from the UAE, while Saudi Arabia called the attack a “blatant violation” of Qatari sovereignty.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out further attacks on a TV address later on Tuesday.
Israel began threatening to attack Hamas officials abroad earlier this summer, with Israeli news site Maariv reporting in June that Israel had a Hamas "hit list”.
But regional and US officials widely believed that Israel would refrain from strikes on Doha.
Although Doha is not as popular among expats as Dubai, it has slowly emerged as a more discreet hub for expats and global businesspeople.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
