On the 9th, Israel launched an unprecedented airstrike against Qatar, a longtime mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in an effort to kill a senior Hamas official. Qatar slammed Israel as engaging in"state terrorism." US President Trump claimed the action was an Israeli decision and that the US learned of it too late.
En violation of droit international, Israël a mené des bombardements au Qatar.
— AJ+ français (@ajplusfrancais) September 9, 2025
According to CNN and Reuters, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the Israeli airstrike threatened the ongoing Qatar-mediated peace talks between Israel and Palestine."Qatar reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack and will take all necessary measures to retaliate," he said.
The Qatari government said Israel killed one member of its internal security forces and injured several others in the attack, which drew condemnation from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union.
Hamas said five of its members were killed in the attack, including the son of its exiled Gaza leader and chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya. Hamas said Israel had failed in its attempt to assassinate its ceasefire negotiating team.
Israeli officials told Reuters that the strike targeted senior Hamas leaders, including Haye. Israel is still gathering intelligence and has not yet confirmed whether any Hamas officials or leaders were killed. Officials revealed that Israel notified the U.S. military shortly before the attack, but did not coordinate with or obtain permission from the U.S. side.
In response to this, Trump posted on social media, saying the decision to bomb Qatar was made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,"not mine." He also pointed out that the unilateral Israeli attack on Qatar "does not advance Israeli or American objectives. However, eliminating Hamas, an organization that profits from the suffering of the people of Gaza, is a worthy goal."
Trump emphasized that the US was indeed notified, but it was too late. Upon learning the news, Trump"immediately instructed (Trump special envoy) Steve Witkoff to notify Qatar of the impending attack, which he did. Unfortunately, it was too late to prevent the attack. I consider Qatar a staunch ally and friend of the United States and am deeply saddened by the location of the attack. I want all hostages and remains released, and this war to end – now!"
Netanyahu said the targeting of Hamas, who was hiding in Qatar, was"perfectly justified" following the Jerusalem attack and the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Gaza."The days of terrorist leaders enjoying any form of immunity are over," he said."I will not allow such immunity to exist."
