"He will not do that anymore," US President Donald Trump stated at the White House on 15/9, when asked if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had guaranteed that the Israeli military would stop attacking Qatari territory.
Trump reiterated that Qatar is "a good ally and many people don't know that". "Prime Minister Netanyahu will not target Qatar, but may continue the pursuit," Trump added, implying that Israel would not cease efforts to strike Hamas forces elsewhere.
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President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on 15/9. Photo: AFP |
President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on 15/9. Photo: AFP
The US president denied reports that the Israeli prime minister had forewarned him about the strikes on Qatari territory, giving Washington time to stop Tel Aviv. Trump admitted that by the time he received the information, it was too late to reverse Israel's decision.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, on the same day, did not rule out the possibility of continuing to target Hamas leadership abroad. "Every country has the right to self-defense outside its borders," he said during a press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
On 9/9, the Israeli military targeted several Hamas political leaders in Doha, Qatar. Qatari officials condemned the action and called for international sanctions against Israel. Trump also expressed disapproval of the attack on Qatar, a US ally and home to a major US military base.
The airstrike killed the son of Hamas deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya along with 4 other members of the armed group, and one Qatari security officer. Hamas officials confirmed that senior leaders survived, and Israeli officials also implicitly acknowledged the strike did not eliminate all intended targets.
Huyen Le (AFP, Time of Israel, BBC)
