The channel quoted four Israeli officials familiar with the details (whom it did not name) as saying that Netanyahu spoke by phone with Trump at his own initiative on Tuesday at around 8:00 a.m. Washington time (18:00 GMT), and that reports of the explosions in Doha were published 51 minutes after the call.
The three Israeli officials confirmed to the channel that "the warning was conveyed (to Washington) before Israeli Air Force planes launched the missiles that struck the headquarters of Hamas leaders in Doha, indicating that there was sufficient time to cancel the attack if necessary."
An Israeli official told Channel 12 that "Trump knew about the attack before the rockets were launched. First, there was a conversation at the political level between him and Netanyahu, and then through military channels. Trump didn't say no." Another Israeli official added that the United States was informed "in advance" at the political level, saying, "If Trump wanted to stop it, he would have stopped it. In fact, he didn't stop it."
The third Israeli official said, "Although Israel informed the Trump administration in advance, the White House is trying to distance itself from the attack." A fourth Israeli official alluded to this point, telling the channel, "The Americans are putting on a show; we informed them of the attack."
Repeated US denials
In this context, US President Donald Trump denied on Monday that he had received prior notice from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Tel Aviv's attack on Qatar.
Trump's remarks came after Axios published a report stating that Netanyahu informed the US president of the strike shortly before it was carried out. The US administration, however, maintains that it only learned of the attack after the missiles had already been launched, which they claim left Trump no room to oppose the strike.
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Trump previously stated that he was not involved in Israel's decision to attack Qatar. When asked on Monday whether Netanyahu had spoken to him directly to inform him that Israel would target Hamas leaders in Qatar, Trump replied, "No, no, they did not."
Following the Axios report, Netanyahu's office also claimed that the attack was a "completely independent" Israeli operation.
Last Tuesday, the Israeli occupation army launched an airstrike on Hamas's leadership in Doha. Qatar condemned the attack, reiterating its right to respond to the attack, which killed a member of Qatar's internal security forces.
Meanwhile, Hamas announced that its negotiating delegation, led by its head in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, survived an assassination attempt, and that its office director, Jihad Labad, his son, Humam al-Hayya, and three bodyguards were killed.
Following the attack, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said at a press conference that the US did not inform Qatar of the attack until 10 minutes after it occurred, responding to reports that Washington had informed Doha of the attack.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 64,905 Palestinians dead and 164,926 wounded, most of them children and women, and causing a famine that has claimed the lives of 425 Palestinians, including 145 children.
