Netanyahu informed Trump before deadly attack in Doha: Reports
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Netanyahu informed Trump ahead of "Israel's" Doha strike on Hamas leaders, an attack that killed several people, drew global condemnation, and disrupted ceasefire efforts.
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Damage is seen after an Israeli strike targeted a compound that hosted Hamas' political leadership in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally informed US President Donald Trump that his government was preparing to target Hamas leadership in Qatar, Axios reported, citing three Israeli officials with knowledge of the exchange.
This contradicts earlier US claims made by Trump that they were notified only after the missiles were launched.
According to the report, the conversation took place on Tuesday morning, just hours before "Israel" launched the September 9 strike on senior Hamas negotiators in Doha.
The aggression killed five Hamas members and a Qatari Internal Security officer, while the group's top political leaders survived. The meeting had reportedly been focused on discussions around a US-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza.
Israel Hayom claimed that both Washington and Qatari authorities were informed in advance of the operation against Hamas' Doha office. However, Qatar flatly rejected the suggestion, insisting it had not received prior warning and denouncing the strike as a blatant violation of its sovereignty and international law. Doha said the assault directly endangered mediation efforts and jeopardized ongoing negotiations over a ceasefire and the fate of Israeli captives held in Gaza.
In the aftermath, Trump sought to distance Washington from the incident, stating that the decision had been Netanyahu's alone. He reassured Qatari leaders that "such an attack would not happen again." Analysts say the episode has further undermined US credibility as a security partner in the Gulf, as confusion remains over when Washington was informed of the strike.
Doha strike fallout
The fallout triggered a wave of condemnation. Russia described the strike as a violation of international law and called on all parties to prevent further escalation. At the same time, Qatar convened an extraordinary joint Arab League-OIC summit in Doha, framing the attack as part of "Israel's" escalating aggression and rallying support for a coordinated response. A draft resolution circulated ahead of the meeting warned that the strike, along with broader policies of siege and mass killing in Gaza, threatened existing normalization tracks with Tel Aviv.
Observers note that the timing of the Doha strike has thrown delicate ceasefire negotiations into disarray. Qatar's prime minister accused Netanyahu of "killing any hope" of securing the release of captives, while Hamas warned that future talks could be derailed entirely. Analysts argue that far from weakening Hamas, the attack has intensified regional backlash against "Israel," deepened its diplomatic isolation, and reinforced calls within the Arab and Islamic world for stronger measures against Tel Aviv.
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