Donald Trump condemned Israeli strike on Qatar, but there is no red line

Israel's airstrikes on Qatar Tuesday aimed at Hamas peace negotiators have been firmly condemned by the White House, though without repercussions for Israel, while Congress members are divided over an act that possibly ended the chance at a resolution to the nearly two-year old genocidal war on Gaza.

Israel carried out the attack Tuesday afternoon in the Leqtaifiya district of the Qatari capital of Doha, killing six and wounding multiple civilians. According to Hamas, their senior leadership escaped the attack.

It is the first such attack by Israel on the US Gulf ally that is home to the largest American military base in the region, putting a strain on the US-Qatari relations and on the negotiations, likely Israel's aim in the attack.

“The Israelis see themselves as the hegemon in the Middle East, and Trump has backed them with whatever they do with impunity. This has accelerated in the last five to six months,” Ed Abington, a retired US diplomat who served in the Middle East and who has made hundreds of visits to Gaza, told The New Arab.

Trump was swift in his condemnation of the of Israel's attack, saying that he was notified too late to stop the attack (indirectly acknowledging US advanced knowledge of the airstrikes) and pointing to a violation of Qatar's sovereignty.

On his social media platform Truth Social, he wrote that "unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America's goals." He also emphasised that this was Netanyahu's decision, not his.

However, in the same tweet he supported the goal of eliminating Hamas, a position many US Congress members share as what they see as an essential policy goal.

"I strongly support Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas," Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said to Jewish Insider following the airstrikes. "I want to know more about the details of this particular strike—I'm learning about it in real time, and anything done to destroy Hamas' leadership or its terrorist capability or military capacity is a step in the right direction."

Overall, the attack has put the US administration in a difficult position, after Trump had touted his efforts to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas. The US president has been trying to position himself for a chance at winning the Nobel Peace Prize, another reason for his frustration over Israel's airstrikes.

Netanyahu has said the attack was a direct response to the shooting in Jerusalem on Monday that killed six Israelis.

"The prime minister and defence minister believed the operation was fully justified, given that this Hamas leadership was the one that initiated and organized the October 7 massacre," Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz declared in a joint statement.

"This is a clear indication that they're willing to sacrifice the lives of the hostages to strike Hamas and to continue their military action in Gaza," Blumenthal had said. "Netanyahu had to know that carrying out this strike against Hamas negotiators in Doha would end the negotiations. He's pressing forward with his military campaign to force Palestinians into the southern part of Gaza, where many will die."

For now, Trump and Qatar appear determined to move forward with overseeing peace negotiations with Hamas. However, it is unclear what will stop Israel from launching a similar attack in the near future.

"Trump has said that it won't happen again. He's not happy about it, but he won't do anything about it," David Frank, professor of political communication and rhetoric at the University of Oregon, opined to TNA.

"This will help unleash more violence in Gaza. This is about Netanyahu's political survival. Every bombing is about appeasing his right-wing base. Why would Hamas engage in negotiations with the Americans and the Israelis if they'll be targeted by the IDF?" he added.