A senior White House official confirmed to the Washington Examiner that Israel gave President Donald Trump and his national security team “advance notice” of the airstrike but did not say if Israel asked Trump to sign off on the operation.
Israeli Foreign Minister Ron Dermer additionally met with Trump’s Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and former White House adviser, on Monday in Miami, Florida.
However, Axios reported on Tuesday morning that the notice was given to the White House as the missiles were being launched.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) voiced displeasure to the Washington Examiner that the administration did not immediately communicate to lawmakers that the strike was occurring.
In a statement, the Israeli government referred to the strike as “a wholly independent Israeli operation.”
The Israel Defense Forces did not initially identify the specific targets of Tuesday’s strike but said the leaders who were struck “led the terror organization’s activities for years and are directly responsible for carrying out the October 7 massacre and managing the war against the State of Israel.”
Hamas leaders reportedly gathered in Qatar, which has been acting as a third-party mediator alongside the United States, to discuss the Trump administration’s latest ceasefire proposal and hostage return.
ISRAEL TARGETS HAMAS LEADERSHIP IN ‘PRECISE’ QATAR STRIKE
Trump warned on Sunday that he would not tolerate Hamas rejecting another ceasefire.
“Everyone wants the Hostages HOME. Everyone wants this War to end! The Israelis have accepted my Terms,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
