On Friday, US President Donald Trump held a dinner meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in New York. This meeting took place just days after an Israeli airstrike in Doha targeted and killed political leaders of Hamas. The attack angered the Trump administration as it risked derailing US-backed efforts to secure a truce in Gaza.
The Israeli strike was widely condemned across the Middle East and beyond for its potential to escalate tensions in the already volatile region. According to the provided text, Trump expressed his annoyance with the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
The dinner, which also included top Trump adviser and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, followed an hour-long White House meeting between the Qatari Prime Minister, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A source briefed on the meeting said discussions focused on Qatar’s future as a key mediator in the region and on defense cooperation following the Israeli strikes.
Trump publicly stated his unhappiness with the Israeli strike, describing it as a unilateral action that did not serve the interests of either the US or Israel. Qatar has been a central mediator in negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the release of Israeli hostages, and a post-conflict plan for the territory. Al-Thani blamed Israel for trying to sabotage peace efforts but affirmed that Qatar would not be deterred from its role.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has been devastating. According to Palestinian health officials, more than 64,000 people have been killed since October 2023. The conflict has also internally displaced almost all of Gaza’s population and created a severe starvation crisis. Human rights experts have labeled Israel’s military assault as “genocide,” a determination Israel rejects. The Israeli offensive began in response to a Hamas attack in which 1,200 people were killed and over 250 were taken hostage.
