President Donald Trump voiced his discontent over the Israeli strike targeting senior Hamas leadership in Qatar on Tuesday, telling reporters he was “very unhappy” with the attack.
“I was very unhappy about it, very unhappy about every aspect, and we got to get the hostages back, but I was very unhappy about the way that went down,” Trump said.
Pressed repeatedly on whether Israel notified the U.S. ahead of the strike, Leavitt notably said only that the White House and Trump were informed by the U.S. military.
“President Trump wants all of the hostages in Gaza and the bodies of the dead released in this war to end now. ”
“President Trump also spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu after the attack, the prime minister told President Trump that he wants to make peace and quickly, President Trump believes this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for peace,” she added.
The Israeli strike on senior Hamas leadership in Qatar on Tuesday drew criticism from President Donald Trump, who told reporters he was “very unhappy” with the attack.
Trump said to reporters Tuesday night, “I’m not thrilled about the whole situation,” adding that he would provide a comprehensive statement on the subject on Wednesday.
Trump stated, “I was very unhappy about it, very unhappy about every aspect, and we succeeded in getting the hostages back, but I was very unhappy about the way that went down.”.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, earlier shared a statement that she claimed mirrored Trump’s views. It used strong language that demonstrated some rare daylight between the president and Israel, but it did not denounce Israeli action. According to the statement, the strike is an “unfortunate incident” that does not help the United States. A. or Israel. .
repeatedly questioned if Israel had informed the U.S. S. Leavitt famously stated only that Trump and the White House were notified by the U.S. prior to the strike. A. militaristic.
Trump later wrote on social media: “Prime Minister Netanyahu made this decision, not me. “..”.
The U.S. military informed the Trump administration this morning that while Israel was attacking Hamas, which was regrettably situated in a part of Doha, the capital of Qatar, “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,” Leavitt stated from the podium during her press briefing.
Leavitt went on to say, “But getting rid of Hamas, who have made money off the suffering of people in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”.
According to Leavitt, Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, was instructed to alert the Qataris to the upcoming attack.
Leavitt added, “The president feels very bad about the location of this attack and views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States.”. President Trump is calling for the immediate release of all hostages in Gaza and the bodies of those killed in this conflict. “,”.
“President Trump also spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu following the attack, and the prime minister expressed his desire to make peace as soon as possible. President Trump feels that this regrettable event could be a chance for peace,” she continued. Additionally, the President thanked the Prime Minister and Emir of Qatar for their friendship and support of our nation. He gave them his word that such an incident would never occur on their territory. “.
However, a spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that they had not been informed beforehand about the strike.
“There is no evidence to support the claims that Qatar was notified beforehand of the attack. The spokesperson stated that one of the American officials’ communications was received amid the explosions that followed the Israeli attack in Doha.
“Sadly, it’s too late to stop the attack,” Trump wrote on social media in response to Witkoff’s warning to the Qataris. “.
Additionally, he stated that he has instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “complete the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Qatar.”. “..”.
The October attack made airstrikes against Hamas leadership in Doha “completely justified,” according to Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
No senior officials were among the five Hamas members killed in the Doha strike, according to the organization.
Leavitt claimed that the White House was informed of the attack “just before” it occurred, but he made no mention of Israel providing the heads-up as has been previously claimed.
When asked if Israel told the U.S., ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce pressed Leavitt. S. . not even prior to the strike.
“I can tell you that the Trump administration was informed by the U.S. military,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt reiterated that the president spoke with Netanyahu after the strike, in response to ABC’s Bruce’s question about whether he had spoken with him before the strike and discouraged him from carrying it out.
