Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US President Donald Trump last week about the impending strike on Hamas leaders in Doha some 50 minutes before the attack, according to a Monday report.
“First, there was a discussion on the political level between Netanyahu and Trump, and afterwards through military channels.
However, in a statement released on X on Monday, Netanyahu insisted that Trump had not known in advance.
“Israel’s action against Hamas leaders in Doha was a wholly independent Israeli operation.
The senior Hamas leaders who were targeted last week had reportedly gathered to review a framework for such a deal, proposed by the US.
50 minutes prior to the attack, US President Donald Trump was informed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week about the planned strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, according to a report released on Monday.
The White House was aware of the attack last Tuesday before the missiles were fired, according to seven Israeli officials who spoke to Axios. Trump claimed after the attack that he was “very unhappy” about the incident, that the US was not given enough notice of the Doha strike, and that he attempted to warn Qatar but was unable to do so in time. He also told reporters on Sunday that Israel needs to handle Qatar, whom he described as a “great ally,” with “extreme caution.”. “”.
The report quotes three officials with direct knowledge who claim that Netanyahu called Trump at around 8 a.m. and that the Israeli notice actually gave Trump enough time to cancel the strike. A. Washington time. . About half an hour later, the first reports of the explosions in Doha were made.
Trump and Netanyahu had a political conversation first, followed by a military discourse. A senior Israeli official told Axios, “Trump didn’t say no.”.
Another official stated, “Trump could have stopped it if he had wanted to.”. He didn’t in reality. “”.
The attack sparked indignation among Arab governments, which met for an emergency meeting on Monday in response to the strike, which killed five non-leading Hamas members and a Qatari security officer but apparently none of its five primary intended Hamas leadership targets. The Jewish state was sharply condemned at the meeting, which was attended by leaders of nations with complete diplomatic relations to Israel.
What was said on the Trump-Netanyahu call and whether Trump told the Qataris in time to prevent the attack were unclear from the Axios report.
One official stated that the Americans were putting on a show, while another stated that Israel had agreed to the White House version of events for diplomatic reasons. “”.
The US administration had good reason to disassociate itself from the strike, according to a fifth official, so “what they say publicly should be taken with a grain of salt.”. “”.
Trump has previously “made things up” about his talks with Israeli leaders for political reasons, according to a sixth official.
But Netanyahu maintained that Trump was unaware beforehand in a statement posted on X on Monday.
He wrote: “The White House version of events is accurate.”. “Israel’s action against Hamas leaders in Doha was an entirely Israeli operation.”. Israel is solely responsible for its inception and execution. “.”.
Trump reaffirmed in his remarks in the Oval Office on Monday that he was unaware of the attack in time to prevent it and that Netanyahu “won’t be hitting Qatar” once more.
The biggest American military base in the Middle East is located in Qatar, a crucial ally of the United States. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a post-conflict plan for the Strip, and the release of hostages held by terrorist organizations in Gaza have all been negotiated for a long time with Doha serving as a key mediator.
According to reports, the top Hamas leaders who were singled out last week convened to discuss a US-proposed framework for such an agreement.
Trump, US Vice President JD Vance, and US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff had dinner with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Friday following the strike.
The meeting came after al-Thani met with Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for an hour at the White House that day.
After the strike, Rubio visited Israel on Monday. He will make a stop in Qatar on Tuesday while traveling to London for a state visit, according to a US official.
Beside Rubio, the PM restates that Israel “did it on our own.”. Period. ‘.
During a press conference with Rubio on Monday, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel’s decision to take action against Hamas in Qatar was a “wholly independent decision,” ostensibly to lessen the blowback to Washington. “.”.
He declared, “We accept full responsibility.”. “We accomplished it by ourselves. Forget it. “.”.
Netanyahu seemed to admit that Israel did not kill its targets in the strike, but he claimed it did not “fail” because it told Hamas leaders that they were not safe anywhere.
The US State Department said Monday that Rubio “will reaffirm America’s full support for Qatar’s security and sovereignty following Israel’s strike in Doha,” though the secretary of state also had said that the attack will not shake the US-Israel relationship.
The Gulf state has urged Washington to use its power to restrain Israel in the wake of the assault.
At a press conference after a summit in Doha called in response to the incident, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi stated, “We also expect our strategic partners in the United States to use their influence on Israel in order for it to stop this behavior… They have leverage and influence on Israel, and it’s about time that this leverage and influence be used.”.
Jacob Magid and Agencies contributed to this report.
