TEL AVIV, Sept 30: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued an apology to Qatar after an Israeli airstrike in Doha killed a Qatari national during an operation targeting Hamas leaders earlier this month, Al Jazeera reported.
The attack, which occurred on September 9, marked the first Israeli strike on Qatari soil and drew global condemnation. According to a White House statement, Netanyahu expressed “deep regret” that the assault, aimed at Hamas officials involved in ceasefire talks, violated Qatar’s sovereignty and unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman. Al Jazeera stated.
The apology came during a phone call on Monday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
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United States President Donald Trump joined Netanyahu in the conversation while meeting him at the White House. Israel’s strike killed at least five Hamas members along with a Qatari security officer, though Hamas’s senior leadership escaped the assassination attempt, according to Al Jazeera.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the discussion, describing it as part of US efforts to limit the fallout from the attack. The ministry said Doha’s prime minister thanked Washington for its guarantees to prevent further Israeli actions against Qatari territory and reiterated the strength of the US-Qatar defense partnership.
Netanyahu, for his part, acknowledged the killing of Qatari citizen Badr Al-Dosari and pledged that Israel would not target Qatar again, added the Qatari news channel.
Netanyahu’s office also released his remarks on X, where he told Sheikh Mohammed that Israel’s intention had been to strike Hamas leaders, not Qataris, and that Israel would respect Qatari sovereignty going forward. At the same time, Netanyahu accused Qatar of policies hostile to Israel, citing its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, its portrayal of Israel on Al Jazeera, and its influence on university campuses abroad. Al Jazeera mentioned in its report.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the strike in Doha as a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In the days following the attack, representatives from nearly 60 Muslim-majority countries gathered in Doha to express solidarity with Qatar, the Doha-based news outlet reported
The White House said the Qatari prime minister welcomed Netanyahu’s assurances, emphasizing Qatar’s continued willingness to help regional security efforts. Netanyahu echoed this, stressing Israel’s commitment to stability in the region.
Sultan Barakat, a professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, described the Israeli apology as a “significant” moment, noting Qatar had insisted from the outset that it would not continue mediating between Hamas and Israel without a public commitment from Netanyahu to avoid further attacks, Al Jazeera stated.
