By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump feels "very badly" about Israel's strike on Hamas targets in Qatar and directed a top aide, Steve Witkoff, to warn Qatar the attack was coming, the White House said on Tuesday.
Hamas, responsible for the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel from Gaza, said five of its members had been killed in the Israeli attack in Doha, including the son of Hamas's exiled Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya.
The United States counts Qatar
as a strong ally in the Gulf and has relied on the Qataris to play an intermediary role in negotiations aimed at getting to a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. military informed the administration on Tuesday morning that Israel's strike was going to take place. She would not answer when asked who informed the U.S. military.
When Trump learned about it, he directed U.S. special envoy Witkoff to warn Qatar it was coming, she said.
After the strike, Trump spoke to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and also the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, she said.
He assured the Qatari leader that "such a thing will not happen again on their soil." She referred to the strike as an "unfortunate incident" and said Trump "feels very badly" about the location of the attack.
The United States has been trying to arrange a ceasefire-for-hostages deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages and look ahead to a plan for post-conflict Gaza.
"Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar - a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard in bravely taking risks with us to broker peace - does not advance Israel or America's goals," Leavitt said.
"However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal. President Trump immediately directed Special Envoy Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did," she said.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Steve Holland; Editing by Nia Williams)
