Netanyahu issues rare apology to Qatari for violating sovereignty in strike

29 September 2025 , 18:34

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Netanyahu issues rare apology to Qatari for violating sovereignty in strike

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Qatar over the Doha strike while at the White House, according to an Israeli source.

Separately, a person familiar also confirmed, Netanyahu apologized to the Qatari prime minister in a phone call from the White House.

Netanyahu did not say he was sorry for targeting Hamas, the Israeli source said, but he did apologize to the prime minister for violating Qatar’s sovereignty in carrying out the strike. In an interview on Sunday, Netanyahu said, “Our goal was Hamas. Not anything beyond it. I think we can work out an understanding on this.”

The Israeli source said the apology was part of a deal so that Qatar would put pressure on Hamas to accept the Trump administration’s 21-point proposal to end the war.

The phone call was first reported by Axios.

Netanyahu also apologized for harming a civilian. The strike killed a Qatari security guard who was in the building that was targeted.

The leaders of Israel and Qatar have never been publicly reported to have formally met or spoken directly until Monday. However, secret and indirect contacts and diplomatic interactions have occurred for years.

The phone call happened while Netanyahu was at the White House for a meeting with US President Donald Trump over the US-backed 21-point plan. Qatar is a critical mediator in ceasefire talks, able to communicate with Hamas, Israel and the US.

Sophia Martinez