US President Donald Trump held a dinner with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in New York on Friday, days after Israel launched an attack on Hamas leaders in Doha that threatened to derail US-backed peace efforts in Gaza.
Israel attempted to assassinate political leaders of Hamas in Qatar on Tuesday, an operation widely condemned across the Middle East and beyond as an act likely to escalate tensions in an already volatile region.
Trump, expressing his disapproval of the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
The dinner also included US special envoy Steve Witkoff, a top adviser to Trump. “Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission Hamah Al-Muftah posted on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but did not provide further details. The meeting followed an hour-long session at the White House earlier on Friday, where al-Thani met Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A source briefed on the meeting said discussions focused on Qatar’s role as a mediator in the region and defence cooperation in the wake of Israel’s strike against Hamas in Doha.
Trump told reporters he was “unhappy” with Israel’s attack, describing it as a unilateral action that “did not advance US or Israeli interests.”
Washington regards Qatar as a key Gulf ally. The country has served as a primary mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel for trying to sabotage peace prospects but emphasised that Qatar would not be deterred from its mediating role.
Since October 2023, Israel’s military assault on Gaza has killed over 64,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials, displaced almost the entire population, and triggered a starvation crisis. Multiple rights experts and scholars have described Israel’s operations in Gaza as amounting to genocide, a claim Israel rejects.
Israel launched its offensive following an attack by Hamas-led militants that killed 1,200 people and left over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. In the course of the Gaza conflict, Israel has also conducted strikes in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Yemen.
Boluwatife Enome
Follow us on:
