Qatar says Netanyahu must be ‘brought to justice’ over Israeli strikes in Doha
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in New York on Friday evening. The high-level talks come just days after an Israeli strike in Doha targeted Hamas leaders, raising fresh tensions in the region.
Why this meeting matters
The meeting is seen as Trump’s show of support for Qatar and his opposition to Israel’s strike. For Qatar, the talks are part of a wider push to pressure Israel into ending the ongoing war in Gaza.
Al-Thani’s U.S. visit
- The Qatari prime minister will first stop in Washington, D.C., to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House.
- He is also expected to meet Vice President JD Vance, though the VP’s office has not confirmed this.
- Later in the evening, he will head to New York for his meeting with Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff.
Security concerns on the agenda
According to sources, one of the main topics will be a potential U.S.-Qatar security agreement. Trump has already instructed Rubio to speed up talks on this deal. Qatar hopes recent events—including the Israeli strike in Doha and Iran’s strike on a U.S. base in Qatar—will push Washington to provide stronger security guarantees.
Qatar’s stance at the UN
At Qatar’s request, the UN Security Council met Thursday to address the Israeli strike. Al-Thani condemned Israel’s military action but emphasized that Qatar will continue its humanitarian and diplomatic efforts in Gaza. Qatar has been a key mediator in ceasefire and hostage negotiations since the Oct. 7 attacks.
Trump’s comments
Speaking to reporters, Trump said:
“Hopefully, the Israeli strike in Qatar won’t affect the Gaza negotiations. We want the hostages out, and we want them out soon.”
He has also demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commit to avoiding further strikes on Qatar.
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