Israel’s Netanyahu says to meet Trump this month, renews Qatar criticism

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would meet with US President Donald Trump later this month after addressing the UN General Assembly.

“Trump invited me to the White House. I will meet with him... after my speech at the UN,” Netanyahu said at a press conference.

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Netanyahu said that a strike against Hamas officials in Qatar last week was “justified” by the Gulf state’s ties to the group.

“Qatar is connected to Hamas, it harbors Hamas, it funds Hamas. It has strong levers (that it could pull), but it chose not to,” he said. “Therefore our action was entirely justified.”

The unprecedented attack on the Hamas meeting in Doha was the first such Israeli strike on fellow US ally Qatar.

The bombing resulted in the death of six people, none of whom were the top Hamas officials Israel was targeting, according to the militant group and Israeli sources quoted by national media.

The Gulf country has no diplomatic ties with Israel and has long hosted leaders of the Palestinian militant group, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.

It has also played a pivotal role in mediating between Israel and Hamas in negotiations for a ceasefire in the war and the release of the 251 Israeli hostages captured by Palestinian militants during that assault.

With AFP

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