Washington: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologised to Qatar for a deadly airstrike on a residential area in Doha earlier this month, during a three-way call brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. The apology came just as Trump and Netanyahu announced agreement on a plan to end what they called “their genocide in Gaza.”
According to a statement from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, the phone call brought together President Trump, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and Prime Minister Netanyahu. During the conversation, Netanyahu expressed “deep regret” over the killing of a Qatari citizen and pledged that Israel would not repeat strikes on Qatari territory.
The September 9 strike, which Israel said targeted a Hamas negotiating delegation, killed Badr Al Dosari, a Qatari national, and five members of Hamas. Hamas’s top leaders survived the attack, which Doha condemned as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.
Qatar has played a pivotal mediating role between Israel, Hamas and international partners during the war in Gaza. Sheikh Mohammed thanked Trump for his mediation and for Washington’s commitment to Qatar’s defence partnership, while reiterating Qatar’s “absolute and unequivocal rejection” of any infringement on its sovereignty.
Netanyahu’s official account on X quoted him telling Sheikh Mohammed:
“Mr Prime Minister, I want you to know that Israel regrets that one of your citizens was killed in our strike. I want to assure you that Israel was targeting Hamas, not Qataris.”
“Israel has grievances against Qatar, from support for the Muslim Brotherhood to how Israel is portrayed on Al Jazeera to support for anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses.”
Meanwhile, President Trump on Monday unveiled a sweeping 20-point plan aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas war and creating a post-war governance structure for Gaza. Under the proposal, a temporary governing board, to be chaired by Trump himself and include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, would oversee Gaza’s transition. The plan does not require population transfers and calls for an immediate ceasefire if both sides accept it.
Qatar said it remains committed to supporting diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and to upholding its role as a mediator despite the strike on its capital.