The Wall Street Journal reported, citing senior U.S. administration officials, that President Donald Trump informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his decision to target Hamas inside Qatar “was not wise.”
According to the report published Thursday, Trump made these remarks during a “heated” phone call with Netanyahu on Tuesday evening, following the Israeli airstrike on Doha that targeted a meeting of Hamas leaders.
Netanyahu reportedly responded by saying, “The window of opportunity for the strike was brief, and we seized it.”
A second call between the two leaders later that same day was described as cordial, during which Trump asked Netanyahu whether the attack had been successful.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said, “I’m simply not happy with the entire situation… We want the hostages back, but we’re not happy with how things unfolded today,” referring to the unprecedented Israeli strike on the Qatari capital.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump emphasized, “The attack on Qatar was a decision made by Netanyahu, not by me,” adding that the U.S. military had informed his administration that Israel was striking Hamas in Doha.
He noted that he had instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a defense cooperation agreement with Qatar and had dispatched envoy Steve Witkoff to notify the Qataris of the imminent strike. “But it was too late to stop the attack,” Trump said, assuring Doha that “such an incident will not happen again on its soil.”
Trump concluded by saying, “This unfortunate attack on Doha could, in my view, serve as an opportunity for peace.” ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾