The White House on Tuesday moved quickly to distance President Donald Trump from Israel’s unprecedented strike on Hamas leaders inside Qatar, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the president was not consulted and did not support the action.

“The Trump administration was notified by the United States military that Israel was attacking Hamas, which very unfortunately was located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar,” Leavitt told reporters.

She stressed that Trump did not authorize or encourage the move. “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard, and greatly takes risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” Leavitt said.

While the administration has repeatedly backed Israel’s right to target Hamas operatives, the strike in Doha — home to much of Hamas’s external leadership and a key hub for negotiations — has long been considered a red line. However, analysts note that it is difficult to believe the White House really didn’t know about the strike beforehand and weren’t looped in on every details. It is possible – even likely – that the White House is claiming it didn’t know about it to lessen geopolitical fallout.

Leavitt said Trump remained committed to eliminating Hamas but argued the strike undermined diplomatic channels. “Eliminating the mobs who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza is a worthy goal,” she said. She added that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff informed Qatari officials of the impending attack.

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