Trump directed top aide to warn Qatar that Israel attack was coming, White House says

Leavitt said Trump later spoke with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo)

US President Donald Trump directed a senior envoy to warn Qatar before Israel launched an attack on Hamas officials in Doha, the White House said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US military informed the administration on Tuesday morning that the strike was going to take place, though she did not say who provided the information. “When President Trump learned about it, he immediately directed US special envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar it was coming,” she told reporters.

Hamas said five of its members were killed in the strike, including the son of its exiled Gaza leader Khalil al-Hayya.

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Also read | ‘Will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour’: Qatar, world leaders condemn strike on Hamas leaders in Doha

Leavitt said Trump later spoke with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Trump assured the Qatari leader that “such a thing will not happen again on their soil”. She described the strike as an “unfortunate incident” and said the president “feels very badly” about it.

The United States considers Qatar a close ally and has depended on it to act as an intermediary in ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza war. “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard in bravely taking risks with us to broker peace — does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Leavitt said, as reported by Reuters.

At the same time, she added that “eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.” The United States has been pushing for a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement as part of wider plans for post-war Gaza.

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