Trump Says Israeli Strike on Qatar Was Netanyahu’s Decision, Not His

Trump called the Israeli attack in Doha ‘unfortunate,’ and said that eliminating Hamas is a ‘worthy goal.’

President Donald Trump speaks to the media while signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on Sept. 5, 2025. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump called Israel’s strikes against leaders of the Hamas terrorist group in Doha, Qatar, on Sept. 9 “unfortunate,” noting that the decision was made by Israel, not by him.

Trump confirmed in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. military notified his administration of the strike, and that he spoke with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the attack.

“This morning, the Trump Administration was notified by the United States Military that Israel was attacking Hamas which, very unfortunately, was located in a section of Doha, the Capital of Qatar,” Trump wrote.

“This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me.”

Trump echoed a statement delivered by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing the same day.

“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,” the president wrote. “However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”

Trump noted that he “immediately directed” U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris ahead of the strike, but it was “too late to stop the attack.”

Qatar condemned the attack and denied receiving advance warning from the United States.

“The statements being circulated about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are baseless,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari posted on X. “The call from a U.S. official came during the sound of explosions caused by the Israeli attack in Doha.”

Trump said he felt “very badly about the location of the attack.”

He added that he spoke with the emir and prime minister of Qatar following the incident and “assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”

“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and ISA [Israel Security Agency] conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the IDF said in a statement on X, without confirming the location.

Netanyahu’s office issued a statement on the strike via his personal X account, saying, “Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”

Qatar, alongside Egypt, has been mediating between Hamas and Israel as part of efforts to end the war in Gaza.

“I want ALL of the Hostages, and bodies of the dead, released, and this War to END, NOW!” Trump said in his post.

“I also spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu after the attack. The Prime Minister told me that he wants to make Peace. I believe this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for PEACE.”

The U.S. Embassy in Doha initially issued a shelter-in-place order for all its facilities and urged American citizens in the country to do the same. The advisory has since been lifted.

The IDF said that measures were taken before the strike to “mitigate harm to civilians.”

The strike on the Qatari capital comes a day after six people were killed and at least another dozen were wounded in a shooting attack in Jerusalem.

Guy Birchall contributed to this report.