The US President Donald Trump is frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his orders to attack Doha, Qatar, on September 9.

According to US officials, Trump has been complaining in recent weeks about Netanyahu's preference to use military power over negotiations and a cease-fire to resolve the lasting situation in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reported.

'He's f -- ing me,' Trump said, according to the report. The words were overheard during a meeting with senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, about the US response to the Israeli strikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar.

'Netanyahu's moves have prolonged the Gaza war, created trouble for Trump with other U.S. allies in the region and made the expansion of the Abraham Accords excruciatingly difficult,' said Shalom Lipner, who served seven consecutive Israeli prime ministers, for the paper.

Lipner added that Israel's continuing war in the region complicates Trump's efforts to improve US relations with some Arab countries.

Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., told the Wall Street Journal that he and other Israelis are 'mystified' about how little effect Trump's criticism has on Netanyahu.

'He's under siege and makes mistakes. The only thing that's really working for him is Trump's support,' said Rabinovich.

The paper previously reported that Trump and Netanyahu had a 'heated call' after the attack, and the president was not happy about Israel attacking one of the US allies during negotiations on ending the Gaza war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump at the White House on Sept. 15, 2020. Trump has been complaining in recent weeks about Netanyahu's preference to use military power over negotiations and a cease-fire to resolve the lasting situation in the Middle East.

A senior US official told the paper then that Trump is increasingly more frustrated with Netanyahu's continuous moves that interfere with his own Middle East goals.

Israeli officials claimed the White House knew of the plan to strike Hamas in Doha beforehand. However, Reuters reported that the Trump administration denied these claims, as they only found out about the attack once the missiles were already in the air and could therefore not oppose.

Donald Trump particularly strengthened the US relationship with Qatar and other Arab countries during his visit to the Middle East in May 2025. During his visit, Trump even described Qatar's ruling emir and his family as 'tall, handsome guys.'

Qatari military aircraft perform a flyover before President Donald Trump departed in May, 2025

Despite Trump's outbursts, the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu remains 'excellent', according to the Wall Street Journal.

This is also due to Republicans' desire to 'see a success story against Hamas,' said Avner Golov, a former senior director at Israel's National Security Council for the paper.

Damian Murphy, a former staff director for Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, thinks Netanyahu chooses to 'ask forgiveness, not permission'.

The Israeli prime minister told the media on Tuesday that Trump invited him to the White House at the end of September. According to Netanyahu, the US leader invited him on Monday during a phone call. The Israeli PM also mentioned several calls since the Qatar attack and described them as 'good'.

Trump 'declared Netanyahu "is f***ing me" after Qatar attack'