'Was Netanyahu's decision': Trump distances himself from Israel's Qatar airstrike
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has distanced himself from Israel's recent airstrike on Qatar, stating the decision was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The attack, which targeted the leadership of Hamas, was confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday. In response to the incident, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to clarify that he was not involved in the decision-making process for this "unfortunate" strike.
Diplomatic fallout
Trump's response to Qatar airstrike
Trump criticized Israel's unilateral bombing of Qatar, a close ally of the United States. He said such actions do not further the interests of either Israel or America. However, he also acknowledged that, while unfortunate, the incident could be an opportunity for peace and highlighted the potential elimination of Hamas as a "worthy goal."
Diplomatic response
Trump directs special envoy to inform Qatar about attack
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump had directed special envoy Witkoff to inform Qatar about the impending attack. However, this information came too late to prevent the strike. Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was "not thrilled about the whole situation" and called for the release of hostages involved in the incident.
Official reaction
US vice president JD Vance expresses discontent over attack
US Vice President JD Vance also expressed discontent over the Israeli attack. He said Trump was not happy about the situation, as it doesn't serve Israel's or America's interests. However, he acknowledged a possible silver lining in eliminating some Hamas members from Doha. Meanwhile, Qatar has denied receiving prior information about the strike and condemned it as a "criminal assault."