Israel Justifies Qatar Strikes After Trump’s Criticism

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations has defended the country’s decision to strike Hamas leaders in Qatar.

The Israel’s UN envoy described the strike as “the right move,”  even as the attack drew sharp criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The White House said Trump opposed Israel’s decision and had warned Qatar before the strikes took place.

However, Qatari officials claimed they only received notice from Washington after the attack had already started.

Speaking to Israeli radio, Ambassador Danny Danon stressed that while Israel values U.S. support, it does not always act in line with American interests.

“We don’t always act in the interests of the United States,” Danny Danon told 103FM.

“We are coordinated, they give us incredible support, we appreciate that, but sometimes we make decisions and inform the United States.

“It was not an attack on Qatar; it was an attack on Hamas. We are not against Qatar, nor against any Arab country, we are currently against a terrorist organisation.”

According to Hamas, six people were killed, including the son of senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, but the group said its top officials survived.

Qatar reported that one of its security officers also died.

Danon said Israel was “still waiting for the results” of the operation, adding that “It is too early to comment on the outcome, but the decision is the right one.”

Sources linked to Hamas told AFP that several top leaders, including Khaled Meshaal and Hayya, were in the targeted building at the time but could not be reached afterward.

Qatar said the strikes hit the homes of Hamas political bureau members based in the Gulf state.

Hamas confirmed that three bodyguards, along with Hayya’s son and aide, were killed, but described the attack as a failed attempt to eliminate its negotiators.

Qatar’s prime minister condemned the strikes, calling them a turning point for the region and warning that his country reserved the right to respond.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision to carry out the attack followed a deadly shooting in Jerusalem on Monday, which Hamas claimed responsibility for.

Meanwhile, President Trump expressed frustration, saying he had not been informed in advance about Israel’s actions.

The US president stressed that while removing Hamas remains an important goal, he was unhappy about the attack taking place in Qatar, a key U.S. ally and mediator in Gaza negotiations.

“I’m not thrilled about the whole situation,” Trump told reporters during a rare outing to a Washington restaurant. “We want the hostages back, but we are not thrilled about the way that went down today.”

Taking to social media, Trump said that “this was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me”.

“I view Qatar as a strong Ally and friend of the U.S., and feel very badly about the location of the attack,” he said — although adding that eliminating Hamas was still a “worthy goal.”

The Gaza war began after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.

Since then, Israel’s military response has left over 64,000 Palestinians dead, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials, whose numbers are recognized as credible by the United Nations.

Qatar, alongside the U.S. and Egypt, has played a central role in efforts to broker truces and negotiate the release of hostages still held in Gaza.

KanyiDaily recalls that Iran previously launched missile strikes at Israeli cities and a U.S. base in Qatar in retaliation Israel attack.