Trump hosts dinner for Qatari PM after Israeli attack on Doha.
According to Reuters, Israel attempted to assassinate Hamas political leaders in Qatar on Tuesday, September 9, in an attack that threatened to derail US efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza and end the nearly two-year war. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond, describing it as an act that could escalate tensions in an already tense region.
In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump expressed his displeasure with the attack and sought to reassure the Qataris that such actions would not be repeated. Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani attended the meeting, which included a dinner, along with Steve Whittaker, the US special envoy and one of Trump’s top advisers.
“Great dinner with the President of the United States. Just ended,” Hamma al-Muftah, Qatar’s deputy ambassador to Washington, wrote on the social media platform X.
The meeting followed an hour-long meeting at the White House, during which Al Thani met with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The meeting discussed Qatar’s future role as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of Israel’s attacks on Hamas leaders in Doha, according to a source familiar with the meeting.
Trump said he was unhappy with the Israeli attack, describing it as a unilateral move that was not in the interests of either the United States or Israel.
Washington considers Qatar a strong ally in the Persian Gulf. Qatar has played a key role in recent years in negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas group in Gaza, releasing Israeli prisoners in Gaza, and planning for a post-war period in the region.
Al Thani accused Israel on Tuesday of trying to destroy opportunities for peace, but said Qatar would not abandon its role as a mediator.