Trump visits key U.S. military base in middle east as Gaza violence escalates
President Donald Trump on thursday visited the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East, as part of his four-day tour of Gulf states. The visit comes at a time of renewed bloodshed in Gaza and the West Bank, with fears mounting over Israel’s expanding offensivet
Trump’s visit to the strategically vital airbase, which has been central to U.S. operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and more recently Yemen, was framed as an opportunity to reinforce America’s military partnerships while rejecting the “interventionist” policies of previous U.S. administrations. Addressing American troops stationed at Al-Udeid, Trump praised the Gulf nations of Qatar and Saudi Arabia as “pillars of stability and economic progress” in a volatile region.
“We are here to support our friends, not to impose our will,” Trump said during his remarks, echoing his administration’s ongoing effort to pressure Iran back to the negotiating table over its nuclear ambitions. Trump also met with Qatari business leaders and American defence and aerospace executives before heading to the United Arab Emirates for a state visit in Abu Dhabi.
However, Trump’s visit to the Gulf region has been overshadowed by intensifying violence in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes on the southern city of Khan Younis have killed at least 54 people overnight, according to local hospitals. An Associated Press cameraman reported multiple airstrikes throughout the night, with gruesome scenes at the city’s Nasser Hospital, where some bodies arrived in pieces.
The heavy bombardment comes amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has entered its third month. Israeli officials maintain the offensive is aimed at eliminating Hamas’ military infrastructure, but international observers, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), have condemned what they describe as an escalation towards “extermination.”
In a scathing statement, HRW accused Israel of planning to seize and occupy Gaza permanently, while forcibly displacing hundreds of thousands of residents. The group called on the international community to intervene, citing the genocide convention, and urged governments to suspend arms sales to Israel and review bilateral agreements.
Israel has strongly denied the allegations of genocide, insisting its actions are in line with its right to self-defence. Meanwhile, HRW also urged Hamas to release the 58 hostages still held in Gaza, including 23 believed to be alive.
Elsewhere, the conflict continued to claim more lives. In the occupied west bank, a pregnant Israeli woman was killed late wednesday in a shooting attack blamed on a Palestinian gunman. Israeli military sources said the assailant opened fire on a civilian vehicle, critically wounding the woman. Doctors at Beilinson hospital managed to save her unborn child through an emergency caesarean section, although the infant remains in serious condition.
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The west bank has seen a surge in violence since the onset of the Gaza war, with Israeli forces conducting major operations against what they call militant cells. These raids have displaced tens of thousands and resulted in hundreds of Palestinian deaths.
Despite hopes that Trump’s regional tour might catalyse efforts toward a ceasefire or open humanitarian corridors into Gaza, no such announcements were made. The Israeli blockade of Gaza, now in its third month, continues to choke off all imports, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, in a notable shift, Qatar’s Al Jazeera, which has long been critical of U.S. foreign policy, toned down its usual commentary during Trump’s visit. The state-funded broadcaster provided largely factual coverage of the president’s tour, focusing on Qatar’s role as a mediator and relaying Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s calls for an immediate ceasefire.
Trump’s middle east tour concludes with a state visit in the UAE, where he is scheduled to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and meet Emirati leaders at the Qasr al-Watan palace in Abu Dhabi.
