Citing Officials, Axios Reports
Trump Did Not Say "No"
Denial of Prior Knowledge Followed
According to a report by the US media outlet Axios on September 15 (local time), citing Israeli officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed US President Donald Trump in advance about Israel's planned airstrike on Qatar.
This contradicts President Trump's position that there was no prior notification.
According to multiple Israeli officials, Prime Minister Netanyahu called President Trump at 8:00 a.m. US time on the 9th to discuss the planned attack. This was 50 minutes before the first reports of the airstrike on Doha, the capital of Qatar, which came at 8:51 a.m. on the same day.
The officials stated that while Prime Minister Netanyahu informed President Trump of the imminent airstrike, the timing was such that the plan could still have been canceled.
One official said, "President Trump knew about the attack before the missiles were launched. Initially, Netanyahu and Trump discussed the matter on a political level, and later, it was discussed through military channels. Trump did not say 'No.'"
Another official stated, "The United States was notified of the airstrike plan 'well in advance' on a political level. If Trump had wanted to stop it, he could have. But in reality, he did not."
However, these officials did not clarify whether Prime Minister Netanyahu merely informed President Trump of the plan during their call, or if he sought US approval.
Previously, on the 9th, Israel carried out a surprise airstrike on a building in Doha, the capital of Qatar, targeting a senior member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
On the day of the airstrike, President Trump shook his head and answered "No" when asked whether Israel had given prior notification of the attack.
White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt also stated in a briefing on the same day, "This morning, the Trump administration received reports from the US military that Israel was attacking Hamas," but did not provide a clear answer regarding whether Israel had given prior notification.
In relation to this, an Israeli official said that, considering the relationship with the United States, Israel decided to help the US deny prior knowledge.
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