Qatar Denies US Claim of Advance Warning Ahead of Israeli Airstrike in Doha

Doha, Sep 10: Qatar has strongly rejected the White House’s claim that it was warned in advance about Israel’s airstrikes on Doha, calling the statement “baseless.”

Majed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, clarified that the first call from a US official came only after the explosions had already begun. “The statements being circulated about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are baseless. The call from a US official came during the sound of explosions caused by the Israeli attack in Doha,” Al Ansari wrote on X.

The denial followed remarks by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who told reporters that President Donald Trump had instructed Special Envoy Witkoff to alert Qatar about the “impending attack.” Leavitt emphasized that the US views Qatar as a strong ally and expressed regret that Doha was targeted.

Israel carried out an airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Doha, targeting Hamas leaders based in the Qatari capital. While Hamas confirmed the deaths of five members, the key negotiating team reportedly survived.

Reacting strongly, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed described Israel as a “rogue player” in the Middle East and termed the strike “state terrorism.” He alleged that the US contacted Doha only 10 minutes after the attack and claimed that Israel used radar-evading weapons.

Israeli officials later confirmed that over 10 fighter jets were deployed in the operation. Reports indicate that Israel employed US-made F-35I stealth aircraft designed to avoid radar detection, highlighting the strike’s precision and strategic complexity.

The incident has further strained regional trust and underscored tensions between US assurances of Gulf security and unilateral Israeli military action.