White House says Qatar was notified of Israeli strike, Doha denies

The White House said on Tuesday that the U.S. government had informed Qatari officials in advance about Israel’s attack in Doha, but Qatar has denied this claim.

In an official statement, the White House spokesperson explained that the U.S. military notified President Trump’s administration in the morning that Israel had carried out an airstrike on Hamas in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

She added that bombing inside a sovereign country like Qatar, which is also a close U.S. ally, does not serve the goals of either Israel or America, though defeating Hamas remains an important objective.

The statement said President Trump quickly directed his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to inform Qatari officials about the possible attack. According to the White House, Witkoff passed this message to Qatar.

Trump also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who assured him that he wanted peace as soon as possible. Trump later told reporters he believes this tragic incident could also open a chance to push for peace.

The White House added that Trump called the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar, thanking them for their friendship and assuring them that such an attack would not happen again on Qatari soil.

However, Qatar strongly rejected the U.S. version of events. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Qatar did not receive any prior information about the strike. He clarified that the only call from U.S. officials came while the explosions were already happening in Doha.

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