The White House has announced that President Joe Biden held phone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Emir of Qatar following an Israeli attack that targeted Doha.
The statement from the White House clarified that the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that Israel carried out airstrikes on locations linked to Hamas in Qatar unilaterally, describing the attack as occurring in a “sovereign nation” and not aligned with the interests of either the United States or Israel.
During the discussions, President Biden emphasized the urgency of reaching a swift resolution for peace, while Netanyahu expressed his commitment to that goal. Washington has also expressed regret over the attack’s location and its repercussions.
The U.S. administration added that President Biden requested that his Middle East envoy, Steve Vitkov, notify the Qatari side in advance about the impending strike, reinforcing that the United States is closely monitoring the situation and working to mitigate its effects.
Furthermore, the White House reassured Qatar that such incidents “would not happen again on its territory,” while also noting that targeting Hamas remains “a valid objective.”