Trump Visits New York to Meet With Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani Amid Criticism of Israeli Attack on Hamas Leaders
Trump welcomes the prime minister of Qatar to New York as peace talks are threatened by Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders.
US President Donald Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met for dinner in New York on Friday, only days after Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha, threatening to sabotage US-sponsored peace talks in Gaza.
The Middle East and beyond strongly denounced Israel’s Tuesday attempt to kill Hamas political officials in Qatar, arguing that the action will only heighten tensions in the already unstable area.
In an attempt to reassure the Qataris that similar strikes would not occur again, Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to voice his disapproval of the strike.
Steve Witkoff, a senior adviser to Trump and the US special envoy, was also present at the meal. Great meal with the president. Just ended,” Hamah Al-Muftah, the deputy chief of mission for Qatar, wrote on X.
Although the White House acknowledged that the dinner had occurred, it gave no other information. The meeting came after al-Thani met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance for an hour earlier Friday at the White House. Discussions centered on defense cooperation and Qatar’s position as a regional mediator following Israel’s strike against Hamas in Doha, according to a person briefed on the meeting.
In an interview with reporters, Trump expressed his displeasure with Israel’s attack, calling it a unilateral move that “did not advance US or Israeli interests.”
One of Washington’s most important Gulf allies is Qatar. The nation has been the main negotiator in protracted talks for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and a post-conflict strategy for the region.
While blaming Israel for attempting to undermine peace efforts, Al-Thani emphasized that Qatar will not be dissuaded from its duty as a mediator.
Israel’s military invasion of Gaza since October 2023 has caused nearly total population displacement, a famine crisis, and approximately 64,000 deaths, according to Palestinian health experts. Numerous academics and human rights professionals have compared Israel’s actions in Gaza to genocide, a charge that Israel denies.
Following an attack by militants commanded by Hamas that left over 250 hostages and murdered 1,200 people, Israel began its offensive. Israel has also launched attacks in Yemen, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon during the Gaza conflict.
