Trump frustrated after Israel’s strike on Qatar, says WSJ
Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump held a tense phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The conversation took place after the US learned about the strike on Hamas in Qatar, not from its ally, but from the military, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.
Senior US administration officials said that President Trump had a heated phone call with the Israeli Prime Minister this week. In particular, he expressed deep frustration that Israel had struck Hamas representatives in Qatar without informing the United States.
Trump told Netanyahu that the decision to attack Hamas political leaders in Doha, the capital of Qatar, was unwise.
Moreover, according to the report, the President was angered to learn about the attack from US military personnel rather than Israel, and that it took place on the territory of another US ally who was mediating negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Netanyahu responded that he had limited time to carry out the strikes and took advantage of the opportunity.
Later, according to sources, a second call took place, which was friendly, as Trump asked Netanyahu whether the strike had been successful.
Netanyahu replied that he did not know, and a few hours later, Hamas stated that Israel’s targets had survived the strikes, although six lower-level representatives were killed.
A senior administration official said that Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, is increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu, who repeatedly puts him in difficult positions through aggressive actions that contradict Trump’s Middle East goals.
In Gaza, Trump supports a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas. But he also emphasized his support for Netanyahu’s military campaign aimed at defeating Hamas, including the resumption of Israel’s offensive on Gaza City, officials said.
Israel’s strike on Qatar
On September 9, around 4:00 p.m. local time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), together with counterintelligence, carried out an airstrike on Doha, Qatar, aimed at eliminating Hamas leadership.
According to IDF reports, the strike targeted high-ranking members of the organization involved in attacks on October 7, 2023, and coordinating further operations against Israel.
The military emphasized that precision weapons and additional intelligence were used during the operation to minimize risks to civilians.
Earlier reports indicate that US President Donald Trump had been informed of Israel’s plans and allegedly approved the strike.
However, Trump himself stated that the decision to strike Qatar was made not by him, but by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Read more about Israel’s strike on Qatar in our news article on the topic.
