by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a rare apology Monday to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani for an Israeli strike in Doha earlier this month that killed a Qatari guard during an attempted assassination of Hamas leaders.
The September 9 attack, which targeted a Hamas political leadership meeting, failed to eliminate top commanders but left several lower-level operatives and one Qatari serviceman dead. In response, Qatar withdrew from mediating hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, straining a key diplomatic channel.
Netanyahu’s apology came in a phone call organized from the Oval Office by U.S. President Donald Trump, who sat alongside the Israeli leader during the exchange. “Israel was targeting Hamas, not Qataris,” Netanyahu reportedly told Al-Thani, adding that Israel would not repeat such an operation on Qatari soil.
According to a White House readout, Netanyahu “expressed his deep regret” and acknowledged Israel’s violation of Qatari sovereignty. The Qatari leader accepted the assurances but warned Doha would not tolerate further violations, while expressing willingness to reengage in ceasefire and hostage negotiations under the framework of Trump’s newly announced peace plan.
That plan, unveiled shortly after the apology, calls for the release of all hostages within 72 hours of Israel’s acceptance, the disarmament of Hamas, and Gaza’s transfer to an international transitional body ahead of eventual handover to a reformed Palestinian Authority.
The apology represented a reversal for Netanyahu, who just one day earlier defended the strike as comparable to America’s killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. Far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich sharply criticized Netanyahu’s move, calling Qatar “a terror state” and branding the apology a “disgrace.”
Israel has previously issued apologies to foreign governments, including Turkey after the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid and Jordan after a failed 1997 assassination attempt on Hamas official Khaled Mashaal.
Despite years of hostility and no formal diplomatic relations, Monday’s exchange marked the first direct conversation between Netanyahu and Al-Thani. Trump praised both leaders for what he described as “taking steps toward cooperation” in pursuit of ending the Gaza war.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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