President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. (AP Photo) US President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated his stance that he was not informed in advance by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel’s attack on Qatar last week to target senior Hamas leadership gathered in Doha to discuss a ceasefire proposal.
The comments by the US president came after an Axios report claimed earlier that Israeli PM Netanyahu had informed Trump shortly before the strike in Qatar. However, the Trump administration has clarified that it was notified only when the missiles were already fired, which gave the US president no opportunity to oppose the strike.
Axios, in a report earlier citing Israeli officials, stated that the Trump administration was informed earlier about the strikes against Hamas leadership gathered in Doha, even if the timeline to stop the attack would have been tight.
In its attempt to assassinate political leaders of Hamas, Israel struck the building wherein the militant groups leaders had gathered for a meeting in Qatar’s capital Doha on Tuesday, escalating tensions and military actions in the Middle East. The strikes by Tel Aviv were widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as it could further escalate tensions in a region which is already on the edge.
Trump has previously stated that he was not involved in the decision to strike Qatar. On Monday, the US president was asked whether he was informed earlier by Netanyahu alerting him that Israel would strike Hamas in Qatar, to which Trump said, “No, no, they didn’t,” Reuters reported.
After the Axios report, Netanyahu’s office clarified that the attack on Qatar targeting Hamas’ political leadership was a “wholly independent” Israeli operation. Trump also added that Israel won’t strike Qatar again, reported Al Jazeera.
Threatening Hamas, Trump in a post on Truth Social wrote, “I have just read a News Report that Hamas has moved the hostages above ground to use them as human shields against Israel’s ground offensive. I hope the Leaders of Hamas know what they’re getting into if they do such a thing.”
(with inputs from Reuters, Al Jazeera)
