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Trump's warning to Israel after Qatar attack: ‘Have to be careful’
Following the September 9 strikes, the international community condemned Israel for its attack in Doha, which killed at least six people.
US President Donald Trump has warned Israel to be careful of its future actions. The US president's remark on Sunday comes days after Israel launched an airstrike in Qatar's Doha to target Hamas' political leadership.
Last week, Israel launched an airstrike in Doha, targeting Hamas' political leadership, which have been in the Qatari capital for the negotiations regarding the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Qatar condemned the attack on Doha, calling it a “blatant violation of its sovereignty and international law.” Israel claimed full responsibility for the attack, citing it as part of its war goal of “eliminating Hamas."
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, President Trump called on Israel to be “careful” with the location of its attacks. Trump's remarks also come after the attack worsened relations between Qatar and Israel, which are key allies for the United States in the Middle East.
"Qatar has been a very great ally. Israel and everyone else, we have to be careful. When we attack people we have to be careful," Trump told reporters.
Israeli strikes on Doha rise tensions in Middle East
Following the September 9 strikes, the international community condemned Israel for its attack in Doha, which killed at least six people, including a Qatari security official.
While Israel claimed that US officials were briefed about the targeted strike, the US said that it was informed moments before the attack and called on special envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris.
However, in his statement, Trump highlighted that the strike on Doha was a unilateral decision made by Israel. Furthermore, Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and Netanyahu exchanged a “heated call” over the strikes in Doha.
In the aftermath of the attack, Qatar is hosting an emergency summit with Arab and Islamic states, which will allow Doha to take measures to safeguard itself from future Israeli attacks.
Ahead of this summit, Qatar denounced the attacks as it called for preparations of a unified response. Qatari PM and foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani further added that Doha remains committed to working with Egypt and the US to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
However, he added that the the Israeli strike that killed six people — five members of Hamas and a local Qatari security force member — represented “an attack on the principle of mediation itself.”
“This attack can only be described as state terrorism, an approach pursued by the current extremist Israeli government, which flouts international law,” the PM said.
“The reckless and treacherous Israeli aggression was committed while the state of Qatar was hosting official and public negotiations, with the knowledge of the Israeli side itself, and with the aim of achieving a ceasefire in Gaza," he added further.
(With inputs from agencies)
