❓WHAT HAPPENED: The White House issued a rebuke of Israel’s strike in Doha, Qatar, and assured Qatari leadership it would not happen again.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Trump White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Qatari leadership.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday, September 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. and in Doha, Qatar.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States, that is working very hard, and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace does not advance Israel or America’s goals.” – Karoline Leavitt
🎯IMPACT: The incident has escalated tensions between President Donald J. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Trump White House issued a stern warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following an Israeli bombing on Tuesday morning that targeted Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald J. Trump has reassured Qatar that such actions will not be repeated.
“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States, that is working very hard, and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Leavitt said during the White House press briefing Tuesday afternoon. She added: “The President views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of this attack.”
“The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States and feels very badly about the location of this attack.”
White House press sec. Karoline Leavitt read a statement after Israel’s strike on Hamas leadership in Doha. https://t.co/X3EkiIHoZ7 pic.twitter.com/OdDyR4QcgF
— ABC News (@ABC) September 9, 2025
The White House comments appear to imply that Israel acted unilaterally in its strike on the Qatari capital. Notably, the rebuke comes amid already heightened tensions between Trump and Netanyahu. Trump has increasingly pushed the Israeli leader to conclude military operations against Hamas in Gaza as the conflict has dragged on for nearly two years, with Israeli operations previously expanding into Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.
Early Tuesday morning, explosions rocked the Katara District of Doha, the capital of Qatar. According to Israeli officials, the blasts formed part of an assassination plot aimed at high-ranking Hamas members residing in the wealthy Gulf state. The Qatari Foreign Ministry has responded to the attack, calling it a “criminal assault” and “blatant violation of all international laws and norms [that] poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar.”
It remains unclear whether the strike was actually successful in eliminating any of its intended targets, though some initial reports suggest Hamas leaders were able to evade the attack.
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