Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticised Israel’s strike on Hamas targets in Doha, saying it did not advance the interests of either Israel or the United States.
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump said he was told American forces had carried out the attack in Qatar’s capital but added it was “too late” to stop it. He called Qatar a “strong ally and friend,” stressing that the decision came from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not from him.
Hamas said six people were killed in the strike, including a member of Qatar’s security forces, but its leadership survived. The Israeli military said the attack was a “precise strike” targeting senior Hamas leaders. Israeli media reported that 15 fighter jets dropped 10 bombs on a single target.
Netanyahu confirmed he authorised the operation, vowing Hamas leaders “will have no immunity.”
Trump, in a rare rebuke of Netanyahu, warned that bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign U.S. ally that has been mediating peace efforts, undermined American and Israeli objectives. “I am very unhappy with the way it went down,” he later told reporters, adding that he was “not thrilled with the whole situation.”
He called for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and promised a “full statement” on Wednesday. “Nothing surprises me anymore, especially in the Middle East,” Trump said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had spoken with Qatar’s Emir and Prime Minister, thanking them for their friendship and assuring them such an incident would not happen again.
Still, Trump’s post noted that ending Hamas, which “profits off the suffering of people in Gaza,” remained a worthwhile goal. He urged the group to release hostages and end the war.
Footage from Tuesday’s strike showed a heavily damaged building in Doha. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack as a “blatant violation of international law” and said officials had not been warned beforehand. Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said an American official’s letter arrived only after explosions were already heard.
Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political bureau since 2012 and has played a central role in indirect talks between the group and Israel since the October 7 attacks. The Gulf state also hosts about 10,000 U.S. troops at Al Udeid Air Base. In May, Trump announced a “historic” economic deal with Qatar worth at least $1.2 trillion, and Qatar recently gifted him a $400 million aircraft to serve as the next Air Force One.
Hamas said its negotiating team survived the Doha strike, calling the attack proof that Netanyahu’s government has no interest in peace. The group held both Israel and the U.S. “jointly responsible” because of Washington’s support for Israel.
Netanyahu’s office quickly released a statement saying the strike was “a fully independent Israeli operation” carried out and owned by Israel alone.
Just days earlier, Hamas had said it welcomed some U.S. ideas on a Gaza ceasefire and was discussing how to turn them into a comprehensive agreement.
The White House later said Trump believed the strike, though “unfortunate,” could still serve as “an opportunity for peace,” adding that Netanyahu told him afterwards that he wanted to pursue peace.
