Why Israel’s latest strike in Qatar has left Trump sidelined again

Why Israel’s latest strike in Qatar has left Trump sidelined again

On Tuesday, Israel launched an airstrike on Qatar targeting Hamas commanders. President Trump revealed that he was briefed by the US military and not Prime Minister Netanyahu, a friend he has often called his best friend. The shock came six months after Israel launched a 12-day war with Iran without notice to Washington. Trump was annoyed, stating that he was "very unhappy about the way that went down," but threatened no real punishment for Netanyahu, the New York Times reported.

Trump separates, then defends

In a public statement, Trump tried to do both—criticizing the bombing on the ground of an American ally while applauding the aim of disbanding Hamas. "Bombing unilaterally inside Qatar… is not in Israel's nor America's interest," he tweeted, before jumping into action and stating that the destruction of Hamas was "a desirable aim." He again expressed his discomfort with the target, mentioning Qatar's status as a containment state, but assured its leadership that such an incident would never happen again.

A trend of Netanyahu's free hand

The episode showed Netanyahu using his relationship with Trump to conduct belligerent operations with minimal US supervision, often using American arms. Analysts said the trend mirrors Washington grumbling but in the end tolerating unilateral Israeli actions. Georgetown University's Khaled Elgindy argued that Trump has effectively given Netanyahu a "free hand," unlike other US presidents who imposed rhetorical or real limitations when civilian casualties were elevated.

Contradictions in Trump's Gaza strategy

Trump has, since coming back to power, pledged to end the Gaza war but produced no clear strategy. He has threatened and set deadlines, but rarely followed through on them. His government has careened between urging Israel to pursue peace and enabling its airstrikes. Critics have described the strategy as erratic and piecemeal—one day backing Netanyahu's proposal, then questioning humanitarian repercussions.

Diplomatic fallout and suspicions

The Qatari attack made it more difficult to bargain on delicate terms, when Hamas leaders were gathering to discuss a Trump-endorsed cease-fire plan. Specialists questioned whether Washington really did not receive forewarning, pointing to American troops' presence in Qatar. Some suggested that Israel provided "plausible deniability" that allowed US-Israeli cooperation to be preserved while keeping Trump out of liability. Being excluded, though, created the perception, which further fuelled allied coordination worries.

Humanitarian cost of the conflict

The Gaza war, which was triggered by the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault, has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, including children in the thousands, according to local health officials. Trump occasionally broke with Netanyahu, acknowledging famine and starvation in Gaza and demanding more aid deliveries. But he would not pressure Israel to scale back its assault, a sign of the tension between his bombast and his softness on Netanyahu's approach.

Uncertainty in Washington

Foreign policy analysts attribute Trump's behaviour towards Israel as reflective of his general style: reactive, personality-driven, and improvised. "He's in a 'Bibi, do whatever you want' mode right now, and that's not necessarily where he'll be tomorrow," said Atlantic Council's John Herbst. The president is caught between defending the war effort of his ally and fending off criticism that he's surrendered control over US policy in one of the world's most volatile conflicts.