On September 9, Israel launched an airstrike on the Qatari capital Doha targeting Hamas political leaders, killing five Hamas members, including the son of Khalil al-Hayya - a former Hamas leader in Gaza who is in exiled life.
The attack was condemned by many Middle Eastern countries and the international community because it was at risk of causing tension in the escalation area.
US President Donald Trump said that the decision to attack Qatar was made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not the White House. Mr. Trump emphasized that unilateral airstrikes on a sovereign country and a close US ally such as Qatar do not benefit both Israel and the US, although he still considers eliminating Hamas a necessary goal.
Trump also said he had instructed special envoy Steve Witkoff to give a warning to Qatar in advance, but Doha said the call from a US official only came when the explosions had rang in the capital. Qatar said it had not received any early notification from Washington.
After the incident, Mr. Trump held phone talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Qatari King Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. He pledged to Qatar that the same would not happen again in the country, and expressed very regret about the site of the attack.
In front of the press, Mr. Trump admitted that he was "not happy" with Israel's actions, although he affirmed that the important goal was to rescue the hostage held by Hamas. While he spoke, many strikers in support of Palestine chided "Liberation of Palestine" and "stop weapons of war and international destruction".
The US has long considered Qatar a key ally in the Gulf region. Doha has acted as a mediator in efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, exchange prisoners and develop plans for Gaza after the conflict.
The attack comes as an Israeli military campaign in Gaza has since killed tens of thousands of people, displaced all of Gaza and caused widespread hunger.
Israel has denied the accusations that its actions were self-defense after a Hamas attack in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people and arrested more than 250.
