US President Donald Trump hosted a private dinner with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in New York on Friday, just days after Israel carried out a strike in Doha targeting senior Hamas leaders.
The Israeli attack, which took place on Tuesday, sought to eliminate Hamas’s political leadership in Qatar. The strike sparked widespread condemnation across the Middle East and beyond, with critics warning it risked escalating tensions and undermining US-backed efforts to secure a truce in Gaza after nearly two years of conflict.
According to US officials, Trump expressed his displeasure over the strike during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He reportedly assured Qatari leaders that Washington would work to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The dinner was attended by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside Trump and Sheikh al-Thani. Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, confirmed the gathering in a post on X, writing: “Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended.” The White House later acknowledged the dinner but did not provide further details.
The engagement followed an earlier hour-long meeting at the White House between al-Thani, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A source familiar with the talks said the discussions centered on Qatar’s future role as a mediator in regional conflicts and on strengthening defense cooperation in light of the Israeli strike.
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Trump described the attack as a “unilateral action” by Israel that, in his view, did not serve either US or Israeli strategic interests.
Qatar remains a key Gulf ally for Washington and has long positioned itself as a mediator in negotiations between Israel and Hamas. It has played a central role in ceasefire talks, efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages, and discussions on a post-conflict framework for Gaza.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister al-Thani accused Israel of attempting to sabotage peace efforts but vowed that Qatar would continue its mediation role despite the strike.
