Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, attends a funeral held for those killed by an Israeli attack in Doha, including Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Humaidi Al-Dosari, a member of the Internal Security Force, at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha, Qatar, Sept. 11, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a video feed. (Credit: Qatar TV/Reuters TV)
WASHINGTON — Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani will meet top U.S. officials on Friday and is expected to discuss an Israeli attack in Qatar and the status of talks for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Thani will meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House in Washington, the State Department announced late Thursday night, as Israel escalates its bombardment of Gaza City ahead of a planned — and much opposed — operation to seize the urban center.
Politico and Axios reported the prime minister was also expected to meet President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, throwing the region, and particularly its U.S.-allied Gulf states, into turmoil.
The strike was widely condemned around the world as an act that could further escalate tensions in a region already on edge. The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned the attack in Qatar's capital Doha, but did not mention Israel in the statement agreed to by all 15 members, including Israel's ally the United States.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a mediator in trying to arrange a deal for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and for a plan on a post-conflict Gaza.
Trump said on Tuesday Israel's decision to strike Qatar was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and not by the Republican leader who added that a unilateral attack on Qatar does not serve American or Israeli interests. Trump has said he was "very unhappy" about the strike.
Trump had vowed to end Israel's war in Gaza when he took office in January but that objective has remained elusive. His term began with a cease-fire that lasted two months. Israel unilaterally collapsed the cease-fire, killing 400 Palestinians in airstrikes on March 18 alone.
In recent weeks, images of starving Palestinians in Gaza,
including children, have shocked the world and fueled criticism
of Israel, which has killed more than 64,000 people in its military onslaught against the besieged enclave, where a man-made famine — the result of Israeli blockade — is also claiming lives on a daily basis.
expected to meet President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance
and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, throwing the region, and particularly its U.S.-allied Gulf states, into turmoil.
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