Most credible sources indicate that Israel notified the United States before or as the strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, was carried out, contradicting the claim that US officials said Israel did not notify them beforehand.
Misleading
US officials say Israel did not notify them before striking Qatar's capital, Doha.
Israel launches airstrikes against top Hamas members in Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks - Qatar | The Guardian
Source: theguardian.com
At a glance
Verified September 9, 2025Key Evidence
The Times of Israel reports a White House official confirming Israel informed the US ahead of the strike.
timesofisrael.comtimesofisrael.comIsrael informed US ahead of Qatar strike: White House official
NBC News and The Guardian cite US officials being notified in advance or just before the attack.
nbcnews.comnbcnews.comIsrael strikes Hamas leadership in Qatar, which had been mediating a ceasefire...
theguardian.comtheguardian.comIsrael launches airstrikes against top Hamas members in Qatar for Gaza ceasefire...
Axios and CNBC note notification occurred as missiles were already in flight, limiting US ability to respond.
cnbc.comcnbc.comIsrael targets top Hamas officials in Qatar strike
axios.comaxios.comIsrael conducts airstrike in Qatar to assassinate Hamas officials
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
The claim states that "US officials say Israel did not notify them before striking Qatar's capital, Doha." However, the evidence from multiple reputable news sources shows a more nuanced picture:
Several sources report that Israel did notify the United States prior to or at the time of the strike:
- The Times of Israel cites a White House official stating that Israel informed the US ahead of the airstrikes.
- NBC News and The Guardian mention that US officials were notified in advance or just before the strike.
- CNBC and Axios report that the US was notified only as the missiles were already in the air, implying notification was very close to or during the strike but not significantly beforehand.
No source explicitly quotes US officials saying they were not notified at all before the strike. Instead, some indicate notification was minimal or last-minute, leaving little opportunity for US input.
The claim may stem from a misunderstanding or selective interpretation of timing, whether notification was sufficiently prior to the strike or effectively simultaneous.
All sources agree on the occurrence of an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar.
In summary, while Israel did notify US officials about the strike, it appears this notification was either very close to or concurrent with the attack rather than well in advance. Therefore, saying "Israel did not notify them before striking" is misleading because it ignores evidence of at least last-minute notification.
Primary trail
Verified Sources10
Open source