© EPA/ by Al Drago / POOL Israel thwarts Trump's plans to end the war in Gaza.
President Donald Trump had a heated exchange with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday over the strike on Doha. Senior US administration officials, in comments to The Wall Street Journal, expressed deep disappointment that the strike on Hamas officials in Qatar had caught them by surprise.
It is noted that Trump, in a conversation with Netanyahu, called the decision to attack Hamas political leaders “unwise.” He was furious when he learned of the attack, because he received news from the American military, not from Israel, and the strike hit the territory of another US ally, which was the mediator in negotiations to end the war in Gaza. Netanyahu, in turn, said that he had a short time to strike, and he took advantage of the opportunity.
Meanwhile, the second call was cordial. Trump asked Netanyahu if the attack had been successful, and he said he didn’t know. Hours later, the militants said Israeli targets had survived the strikes, although six lower-level members had been killed.
“A senior administration official said that Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, is increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu, who is constantly cornering him with aggressive moves that are being made without US involvement and contradict Trump's own goals in the Middle East,” the journalists write.
Trump favors a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, although he also supports Netanyahu's campaign against Hamas. The Israeli strike caused Hamas to abandon ceasefire talks. Worse for Trump, it angered Qatari leaders, who had been mediating between Hamas and Israel.
“This clearly undermines Trump's peace agenda,” says Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.
According to her, Trump himself is also partly to blame for his “unstable approach” in the Middle East, which “creates space and opportunities for actors to do whatever they want.”
One of the American officials also said that Trump wants at least a reduction in Israeli bombing of Gaza, because, in his opinion, this is damaging Israel's image in the world.
According to officials, Trump and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, have privately complained in recent months that Netanyahu is manipulating them and getting them into difficult situations, often without warning.
As a reminder, on September 9, more than ten Israeli fighter jets carried out an airstrike on the Qatari capital, Doha, releasing more than ten warheads on a single target, which, according to the Israeli side, is associated with the Hamas leadership. The militants confirmed the death of six people, including the son of the organization's leader in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, one of his assistants, and a Qatari officer. The group said that the strike was aimed at disrupting negotiations on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
