Netanyahu apologizes for Israel’s Qatar strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “deep regret” to his Qatari counterpart Monday over the Sept. 9 strikes aimed at Hamas leaders in Doha by the Jewish state.
President Trump set up the three-way call between Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani as part of an effort to mend strained relations between the two countries.
“He [Netanyahu] further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future,” according to a rare White House readout of the conversation.
“Prime Minister Al Thani welcomed these assurances, emphasizing Qatar’s readiness to continue contributing meaningfully to regional security and stability. Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed commitment to the same.”
Israel has long expressed annoyance that Qatar plays a key role in Middle East peace negotiations despite hosting Hamas political leaders.
The Sept. 9 attack had targeted top terror figures as they gathered with Qatari mediators for another round of cease-fire discussions.
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Six people were reported killed, including a Qatari security official, and four were wounded. However, Israeli officials have privately acknowledged that the attack failed to take out Hamas leadership.
Netanyahu, 75, quickly took responsibility for the attack and claimed Trump, 79, had no advance knowledge of the strike.
“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard in bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that same day.
The White House claimed that the US military informed Trump about a pending Israeli attack inside Qatar and the president tasked US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff with relaying that information to Doha — only for the news to reach the Qataris too late.
Following the strike, Qatar announced it was stopping its mediation efforts, including attempts to free remaining hostages held by Hamas for nearly two years.
“We were thinking that we are dealing with civilized people,” Al-Thani raged to CNN the day after the attack. “That’s the way we are dealing with others. And the action that [Netanyahu] took – I cannot describe it, but it’s a barbaric action.”