Days after Israel launched an unprecedented airstrike on Qatar targeting senior Hamas leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump has urged caution, warning of the risks as two of Washington’s closest allies in the Middle East drift into open confrontation.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump praised Doha as a “very great ally” and stressed the need for restraint. “Israel and everyone else, we have to be careful. When we attack people we have to be careful,” he said.
The remarks come after Israel’s strike last Tuesday on the Qatari capital, Doha, where indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing in a bid to end the war in Gaza. The attack killed five Hamas operatives and a Qatari security officer, triggering widespread outrage across the Arab and Muslim world.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas joined other regional leaders in Doha over the weekend for an emergency summit aimed at expressing solidarity with Qatar. In an impassioned address, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani condemned the Israeli attack, calling on the international community to “stop using double standards” and hold Israel accountable.
The strike has rattled Washington, as Qatar not only mediates between Hamas and Israel but also hosts the largest U.S. military base in the region. Analysts warn the incident could complicate American diplomacy in the Middle East, forcing the U.S. to balance its longstanding partnership with Israel against the strategic importance of its Gulf ally.
