Trump issues rare rebuke to Netanyahu over Qatar strikes

US President Donald Trump gave Benjamin Netanyahu a uncommon slap connected the wrist Tuesday implicit Israel’s strikes against Hamas successful Qatar, arsenic helium insisted helium played nary relation successful the onslaught by 1 adjacent US state against another.

Trump said helium was not notified successful beforehand of the Israeli onslaught connected the Gulf state, a important broker successful the negotiations betwixt Israel and Hamas connected ending the Gaza warfare and securing the merchandise of hostages held by Palestinian militants.

“I’m not thrilled astir the full situation,” Trump told reporters during a uncommon outing to a Washington restaurant. “We privation the hostages back, but we are not thrilled astir the mode that went down today.”

The Israeli onslaught connected Doha could hardly beryllium much delicate arsenic Qatar, successful summation to its relation successful the Gaza negotiations, is location to a immense US airbase and hosted Trump during a Middle East plaything this year.

The fossil fuel-rich emirate besides precocious gave the United States a luxury Boeing 747-8 pitchy for Trump to usage arsenic his statesmanlike plane, a determination that sparked large ethical questions.

“This was a determination made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a determination made by me,” Trump said successful a station connected societal media.

“I presumption Qatar arsenic a beardown Ally and person of the U.S., and consciousness precise severely astir the determination of the attack,” helium said — though adding that eliminating Hamas was inactive a “worthy goal.”

In a connection that mostly echoed 1 issued earlier by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump focused connected the imaginable harm to his efforts to extremity the warfare successful Gaza.

“Unilaterally bombing wrong Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and adjacent Ally of the United States, that is moving precise hard and bravely taking risks with america to broker Peace, does not beforehand Israel oregon America’s goals,” Trump said.

‐ ‘Too late’ –

The US president was astatine pains to constituent retired that Washington was caught unawares by the Israeli attack.

He said the White House was “notified by the United States Military that Israel was attacking Hamas which, precise unfortunately, was located successful a conception of Doha.”

“I instantly directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to pass the Qataris of the impending attack, which helium did, however, unfortunately, excessively precocious to halt the attack.”

Trump said helium had spoken to Netanyahu successful the aftermath, and tried to enactment a affirmative gloss connected the affair.

“The Prime Minister told maine that helium wants to marque Peace. I judge this unfortunate incidental could service arsenic an accidental for PEACE,” helium said.

Leavitt told reporters earlier that Trump had fixed Netanyahu a “very clear” connection astir his “concerns.”

Trump’s rebuke of Netanyahu was uncommon, arsenic the US president has fixed the Israeli person astir unstinting backing since returning to the Oval Office successful January.

Israel’s ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter said successful a Fox News interrogation Tuesday that the United States and Israel were “united successful the effort of eliminating Hamas arsenic being a menace to bid successful the Middle East.”

“We person acted unneurotic successful the past, we’ll enactment unneurotic successful the future,” Leiter added.

As Qatar complained astir the attack, Trump said helium had present directed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a defence practice statement with Doha.

Trump added that helium had assured Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani successful a telephone telephone that “such a happening volition not hap again connected their soil.”

Doha had earlier insisted it had nary informing of the attack.

“The telephone received from an American authoritative came arsenic explosions sounded from the Israeli onslaught successful Doha,” Qatari overseas ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said connected societal media.

Qatar has erstwhile again recovered itself caught successful the crossfire of the turmoil successful the Middle East. Iran fired missiles astatine the US Al Udeid airbase successful June successful retaliation for US strikes connected Iranian atomic sites.

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