'Every time there's progress, he bombs someone': Trump 'frustrated' with Netanyahu – Qatar strike a step too far?

US President Donald Trump is said to be growing increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Israeli jets struck a Hamas meeting in Doha earlier this week. The airstrike, carried out while Hamas officials were reportedly weighing a US-backed hostage-ceasefire proposal, has shaken Gulf capitals and threatened delicate negotiations.

According to the Times of Israel, Trump made clear he was displeased, stressing the strike “did not advance Israel or America’s goals.” Though he repeated his belief that “eliminating Hamas” was a “worthy goal,” a Politico report suggested his team’s irritation ran deeper. “Every time they’re making progress, it seems like he bombs someone,” a person close to Trump’s national security team told Politico.

Fallout in the Gulf

Qatar, a close US ally, reacted with fury. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani described the strike as an act of “state terror,” accusing Netanyahu of “barbarism” and questioning whether Doha could continue mediation. At the UN Security Council, Qatar insisted it would not waver in its diplomatic efforts, though Sheikh Mohammed later admitted the talks now had “nothing valid” to build on.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also condemned the attack. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for an “Arab, Islamic and international response,” while the UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan travelled to Doha in a rare show of solidarity with its ruler. Israel’s actions, Sheikh Mohammed said, violated “all international laws and norms.”

Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum accused Israel of deliberately sabotaging negotiations. “This crime was… an assassination of the entire negotiation process,” he said. The group confirmed five members were killed, including relatives and aides of senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, as well as a Qatari security officer.

Trump, speaking to Israel’s Channel 14, urged that the strike should not derail efforts: “We want the hostages out, and we want them out soon. Hopefully it won’t affect it.” Yet privately, aides admit confidence is ebbing.

A region on edge

The attack has deepened Gulf fears that Washington cannot restrain Israel, threatening Trump’s broader regional agenda. The Abraham Accords , once hailed as his signature achievement, now look fragile. Saudi Arabia has hardened its conditions for normalisation, demanding progress on Palestinian statehood, while the UAE has warned Israel that further escalation risks crossing a “red line.”

For now, Netanyahu remains defiant. “To Qatar and all nations who harbour terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will,” he declared.