Contradictory accounts are swirling around a phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump preceding Israel's airstrike on a Hamas target in Doha, Qatar. Three Israeli officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, claim Netanyahu informed Trump of the impending attack approximately 8 AM Eastern Time, just minutes before the first explosions rocked the Qatari capital at 8:51 AM. This directly contradicts the White House's assertion that they were only notified after the missiles were already airborne.
The discrepancy has sparked significant tension between the US and Israel. Seven Israeli officials have corroborated the earlier notification to the White House, although the nature of the communication remains unclear. It is unknown whether Netanyahu simply informed Trump of the plans or sought explicit permission for the strike. One Israeli official admitted to coordinating with the White House to deny prior knowledge of the attack.
The official US account portrayed a scenario where the US military detected Israeli jets and requested an explanation, only receiving confirmation after the missiles were already in flight. This version of events directly clashes with the claims of multiple Israeli sources. Following the publication of this report, President Trump himself denied any prior knowledge, echoing the initial White House statement. A US official responded sharply to the Israeli claims, dismissing them as “false accusations.”
The conflicting narratives have ignited a firestorm, severely straining US-Israel relations. The strike in Doha has also exacerbated existing tensions between the US and Qatar, and notably increased Israel's international isolation. The conflicting timelines and the subsequent denials leave a cloud of uncertainty over the communication between the two leaders, raising questions about transparency and strategic coordination between the two nations.
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Originally published at: https://www.axios.com/2025/09/15/trump-netanyahu-call-israel-strike-qatar
