Washington, 15 September (H.S.): US President Donald Trump has urged restraint following Israel’s unprecedented airstrike on Doha, which targeted Hamas leaders but resulted in the deaths of five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer.

Trump, addressing reporters, described Qatar as “a very great ally” and warned that “Israel and everyone else, we have to be careful. When we attack people, we have to be careful”—a calibrated response reflecting Washington’s delicate diplomatic balance.Initially rebuking Israel for the strike, which took place amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israeli and Hamas officials in Qatar, Trump’s latest remarks signal the deepening fragility of US regional alliances.

The attack has already drawn sharp condemnation across the Arab and Muslim world, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas joining regional leaders for a solidarity meeting in Doha.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called on the international community to “stop using double standards” and hold Israel accountable, underscoring rising tensions over the strike’s timing and location. Qatar, a key US military partner, hosts the largest American base in the Middle East—adding strategic complexity to the unfolding diplomatic crisis.

The incident has not only disrupted sensitive peace talks but also risked further polarization in a region already grappling with the fallout from prolonged conflict in Gaza. As global scrutiny intensifies, the strike on Doha marks a dangerous escalation with repercussions for US diplomacy, regional stability, and the prospects for a negotiated end to hostilities.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar