Trump not-thrilled as Israel’s Qatar strike sparks outrage

US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has said he is “not thrilled” about Israel’s air strike in Qatar, which killed five Hamas members and triggered widespread condemnation from across the world.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended this attack as “fully justified,” targeted senior Hamas leaders accused of masterminding the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war.

Hamas confirmed the deaths of five members, including the son of top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, but said Israel failed to assassinate its political bureau members. The group denounced the strike in Doha as a “heinous crime” and a “flagrant violation of international law.”

Qatar, a key US ally hosting an American air base and the Hamas political bureau since 2012, strongly condemned the assault as “cowardly” and a grave breach of its sovereignty. The interior ministry said one security officer was killed and others injured. Witnesses in Doha reported up to eight explosions in the Katara district.

Trump told reporters: “I’m not thrilled about the whole situation. It’s not a good situation. We want the hostages back, but we are not thrilled about the way that went down today.” The White House later said the president had assured Qatar’s emir and prime minister that “such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”

According to US officials, Trump had instructed envoy Steve Witkoff to inform Qatari authorities of the impending strike. The White House stressed that bombing inside a sovereign ally “does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” though it described eliminating Hamas as a “worthy” objective.

Israel said the operation was carried out independently, involving 15 fighter jets that launched 10 munitions within seconds. Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the decision followed recent deadly attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza.

Reactions poured in from around the world. The UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the strike as a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, while French President Emmanuel Macron called it “unacceptable regardless of motive.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned of further escalation, and Saudi Arabia denounced the “brutal aggression.”

Pope Leo XIV said the situation was “very serious,” while families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza expressed deep anxiety that the strike could endanger their loved ones. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid demanded the government clarify whether hostages’ safety had been considered.

Hamas said its delegation had been discussing the latest US ceasefire proposal in Doha when the compound was hit. The plan reportedly includes a 60-day truce, the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and talks on a permanent ceasefire.

Netanyahu later told a gathering at the US embassy in Jerusalem that the strike could “open the door to an end of the war.” He urged Gazans to “stand up for your rights and your future” and accept peace.

Israel has previously killed several top Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July 2024 and Yahya Sinwar in Gaza three months later. The Gaza war erupted after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage on 7 October 2023.

Since then, Israeli strikes have killed at least 64,605 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. - UNB