After Israeli strike, Qatar responds to reports of tensions with US

Qatar issued a swift denial that it was reconsidering the agreement with Trump, insisting that its relationship with the United States is “stronger than ever and continues to grow.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Conflicting accounts emerged Thursday over Qatar’s reaction to the Israeli strike in Doha that targeted Hamas leaders, raising questions about its ties with Washington.

Axios reported that Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told the White House the attack amounted to an “act of betrayal” by the United States.

According to the report, he conveyed to Special Envoy Steve Witkoff that Doha would undertake “a deep evaluation of its security partnership” with Washington and might even “find some other partners.”

The review, Axios said, was spurred not only by Israel’s strike but also by recent Iranian attacks on Qatari soil.

Qatar, however, issued a swift denial, calling the account “categorically false” and insisting that its relationship with the United States is “stronger than ever and continues to grow.”

Meanwhile, Axios also reported that President Donald Trump personally intervened to caution Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a phone call Wednesday, Trump allegedly told him, “It’s unacceptable. I demand that you do not repeat it,” according to sources familiar with the conversation.

Netanyahu, in a video message posted Wednesday, defended the strike and urged Qatar and other countries hosting Hamas officials to expel them or prosecute them. Otherwise, he warned, “we will.”

The White House confirmed that Trump had directed Witkoff to warn Qatar in advance of the operation.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that he felt “very badly” about the attack and had ordered Witkoff to notify Qatari officials of the impending strike, though the warning came “too late to stop the attack.”

He later clarified that the decision to strike was made by Netanyahu alone.