Members of the media gather at the press room reserved for the coverage of the upcoming Arab-Islamic summit, organized to discuss the recent Israeli attack on Qatar, in Doha on Sept. 14, 2025. Deadly Israeli air strikes targeted senior Hamas leaders on Sept. 9 in U.S. ally Qatar, the venue of repeated rounds of Gaza peace talks, drawing a rare rebuke from President Donald Trump. (Credit: Karim Jaafar/AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a Monday telephone call placed from the White House, apologized to Qatar's prime minister for strikes against Hamas in the Gulf country, a diplomat said.
The diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu voiced regret for the violation of Qatari sovereignty and the death of a Qatari security guard in the September attack.
The Israeli leader had previously expressed no regret for the September 9 strike on a residential neighborhood in Doha targeting Hamas leaders who were to review a U.S. proposal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. But U.S. President Donald Trump, who has close ties to Qatar, expressed dissatisfaction with the strike and is once again seeking a truce in Gaza.
The phone call was first reported by Axios. "The Israeli prime minister called the Qatari prime minister to apologize for violating Qatar's sovereignty during the attack on Doha and to express his regret for the death of a Qatari security guard," Axios reporter Barak Ravid reported. "Israel's apology for the strike was a key condition set by Qatar for resuming negotiations with Hamas on an agreement to end the war in Gaza and free the remaining hostages," Axios revealed, noting that the apologetic phone call, which took place during the meeting between Netanyahu and Trump, "could pave the way for such an agreement."
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