The White House has reacted after the Israeli airstrike on Doha, the capital of Qatar, stressing that President Donald Trump considers this a unilateral and inappropriate action by Israel against a close ally of the United States.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said the Trump administration was notified of the attack in the early hours of this morning.
“Hamas, unfortunately, was in an area of Doha,” Leavitt said. “The unilateral bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign state and close ally of the United States, which is working courageously and taking risks to help achieve peace, serves neither Israeli nor American purposes.”
According to Leavitt, the president's special envoy, Jeff Witkoff, had warned Qatari authorities about the potential attack.
She added that President Trump sees Qatar as a strong friend and ally of the US and "is deeply shocked by the location of the attack."
However, Leavitt stressed that the destruction of Hamas "remains a worthwhile objective," describing the organization as profiting from the suffering of the people of Gaza.
President Trump, she said, has assured the Qatari leadership that such an attack will not happen again. He believes that "this unfortunate incident can serve as an opportunity for peace."
Asked if the president is angry with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israel's unilateral action in Qatar, Leavitt said the president's position has been made clear.
Regarding the possibility of any consequences for the Israeli prime minister, Leavitt responded that such a decision remains solely in the hands of President Trump.