On Monday, September 15, 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not inform him prior to Israel’s recent military action in Qatar. This statement directly contradicted an Axios report which claimed that Netanyahu had given the U.S. president advance notice of the strike.
The Trump administration had previously maintained that they were only notified after the missiles were already in the air, leaving no opportunity for Mr. Trump to intervene or oppose the strike. However, the Axios report, citing Israeli officials, suggested that the White House was aware earlier, even if the window to prevent the attack was narrow.
The Israeli airstrike in Qatar, which occurred on September 9, 2025, reportedly aimed to eliminate political leaders of Hamas. This aggressive move has been widely condemned across the Middle East and beyond, raising serious concerns about further destabilizing an already volatile region. Critics fear such actions could ignite broader conflicts.
Mr. Trump reiterated his stance, stating he had no involvement in Israel’s decision to carry out the attack in Qatar. When directly questioned about whether Netanyahu personally alerted him to the impending strike on Hamas leaders, Mr. Trump’s response was a firm, “No, no, they didn’t.”
Following the Axios report, Mr. Netanyahu’s office reaffirmed that the operation was an “entirely independent” Israeli undertaking, suggesting no external involvement or prior approval was sought.
The U.S. maintains close ties with both Israel and Qatar. Notably, Doha has played a crucial role as a mediator, actively working to broker a ceasefire agreement in the ongoing Gaza conflict. The strike has complicated these diplomatic efforts.
The prolonged Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has resulted in a devastating humanitarian crisis. Tens of thousands of lives have been lost, the entire population of Gaza has been internally displaced, and a severe starvation crisis has unfolded. Numerous human rights experts and scholars have described these actions as amounting to genocide.
Israel vehemently rejects allegations of genocide, asserting that its military operations are acts of self-defense. This campaign was launched in response to the October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants, which tragically killed 1,200 people and led to over 250 hostages being taken. In addition to Gaza, Israel has also conducted bombings in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Yemen as part of its broader military activities in the region.