US President Donald Trump has demanded a commitment from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Qatar again, two sources familiar with the matter told Axios. The US leader's insistence comes after the attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, News.bg reports.
Netanyahu did not consult with Trump or any of his senior advisers about the attack. The strike angered the White House and caused alarm among leaders in the region and around the world, damaging not only Israel's global status but also that of America.
The Qatari prime minister told the White House that his country would reassess its security partnership with Washington after this act of "betrayal" and indicated that Leaders on both sides of the Gulf are debating how to respond. Netanyahu, however, has not publicly apologized, and has even hinted that he may order another strike regardless of Trump's request.
Trump's advisers were genuinely shocked by the strike on Qatar, a close US ally and the seventh country Israel has bombed since October 7, 2023. "I was very unhappy with every aspect of it," Trump said on Tuesday night.
A source close to Trump said that the way Netanyahu and his confidant Ron Dermer handled the matter was "an unpleasant reminder" of the behavior that led to friction with Trump during his first term.
Trump had two phone calls with Netanyahu on Tuesday to discuss the Qatar strike. During the first call, he expressed disappointment with Israel's decision and confusion about its long-term goal. “This is unacceptable. I insist that you do not do it again,“ Trump told Netanyahu, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Trump then briefed the Qatari emir and prime minister, both of whom were furious. A former US official said that Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told US officials that he viewed the incident as a betrayal by Israel and the US. Al-Thani said that after Qatar was attacked by both Iran and Israel in the space of six months, the country would conduct a thorough assessment of its security partnership with the US and “maybe find other partners“ to provide the necessary protection.
Yesterday, Netanyahu hinted that he would not hesitate to order a second strike on Qatar if the leaders of “Hamas“ remained in the country.