U.S. President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with the Qatari Prime Minister at a dinner meeting in New York on Friday, three days after Israel, a U.S. ally, attacked the Qatari capital Doha in an attempt to assassinate the Palestinian negotiating delegation.
Israel attempted to assassinate Hamas leaders during their meeting in Qatar on Tuesday to discuss President Trump's recent proposal, a strike that disrupted U.S.-backed efforts to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza and end Israel's ongoing war on the besieged territory for nearly two years. The Israeli aggression has been widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in an already volatile region.
Trump reportedly expressed his displeasure over the raid in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as publicly, and sought to reassure the Qataris that such attacks would not be repeated.
Joining the dinner meeting with Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was Trump's senior advisor, special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. The Deputy Chief of Mission of Qatar, Hamad Al-Muftah, said on X: "Just finished a wonderful dinner with the U.S. President."
The dinner meeting in New York followed a one-hour meeting that Al Thani held at the White House on Friday with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source familiar with the meeting's proceedings reported that they discussed Qatar's future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation following the Israeli strikes on Hamas in Doha.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that Vance and Rubio expressed their appreciation for Qatar's tireless mediation efforts and its effective role in achieving peace in the region, and that Doha is "a trusted strategic ally of the United States."
Al Thani affirmed that Qatar "will take all necessary measures to protect its security and preserve its sovereignty in the face of the blatant Israeli attack," according to the statement.
Trump had expressed his dissatisfaction with the Israeli strike, describing it as a unilateral act that does not serve American or Israeli interests.
U.S. Secretary of State Rubio left for Israel on Saturday, where he is expected to speak to Israeli leaders about "our commitment to Israel's security and combating anti-Israel actions, including the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state that rewards Hamas terrorism," according to U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement on Friday.
Washington considers Qatar, which hosts the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. base outside the United States (with 10,000 Americans), to be a strong Gulf ally. Doha has been a key mediator in the long-standing negotiations to halt the Israeli genocide war waged by the Israeli occupation army against Palestinians in Gaza, the release of detainees, and post-war plans for Gaza.
The Qatari Prime Minister, Al Thani, blamed Israel for attempting to sabotage peace opportunities, but stated that Qatar would not back down from its role as a mediator.
Israel failed to assassinate any of the senior Hamas leaders who gathered at the site of the raid on Tuesday in Doha.
Hamas identified the deceased as Jihad Labad, head of the senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya's office; Khalil Al-Hayya's son, Hamam Al-Hayya; and three others described as "aides" - either advisors or personal guards: Abdullah Abdul Wahid, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmed Abdul Malik. A Qatari security officer, Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Humaidi Al-Dosari, was also killed.
The official Qatari news agency reported that Doha will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Sunday and Monday to discuss the Israeli attack.
שתף את דעתך
Trump and Whitaker meet with the Qatari Prime Minister in New York.