Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly issued an apology to Qatar for a destructive Israeli strike in Doha earlier this month, resulting in six casualties, including Hamas members and a Qatari security official.
The apology was conveyed during a phone conversation from the White House to Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Monday, as per Reuters.
The discussion occurred while Netanyahu was in Washington meeting with US President Donald Trump. This development coincides with the planning of Trump’s Gaza peace initiative, with Netanyahu confirming his backing. The White House disclosed in a statement, “As an initial step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his sincere regret that Israel’s missile attack on Hamas targets in Qatar inadvertently led to the death of a Qatari serviceman.”
“He also expressed remorse that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel breached Qatari sovereignty and assured that such an attack would not happen again in the future,” reported the Express.
It remains uncertain if the US president exerted pressure on the Israeli leader to offer an apology, as noted by the Express US.
Netanyahu’s apology signifies a significant change from his previous stance, where he characterized Qatar as being linked to Hamas and justified the attack. “If Qatar desired, it could exert much more significant pressure, aiding in the release of all hostages early in the conflict,” he stated to The Times of Israel.
Qatar condemned the attack as a blatant violation of international laws and norms. The US confirmed that Israel had provided advance notice of the strike.
Hamas disclosed that while its senior commanders evaded the attack, five lower-ranking operatives were eliminated.
Trump and Netanyahu are convening amidst escalating international pressure to end the nearly two-year Gaza conflict. Nevertheless, Netanyahu remains steadfast in his commitment to continue the campaign until Hamas is completely eradicated.
According to anonymous Arab sources cited by The Associated Press, Trump’s plan to resolve the Gaza war involves an immediate ceasefire, the release of all captives within 48 hours, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian territory.
Hamas instigated the ongoing conflict by killing over 1,200 Israelis in a surprise assault and is reportedly holding 48 hostages, with 20 believed to be alive.
The Tehran-backed terror group has insisted that Israel must agree to end the war and withdraw from Gaza as part of any ceasefire agreement.
The Health Ministry in Gaza, under Hamas control, asserts that Israel’s military operation has resulted in the deaths of more than 66,000 Palestinians, without distinguishing between civilians and combatants.
Numerous Arab nations and UN experts have denounced Israel’s actions as genocide. The leading authority on hunger crises cautioned that Israel’s blockade and ongoing offensive have pushed Gaza City into famine.
Over 300,000 individuals have fled the city recently following Israel’s directives to relocate south, though approximately 700,000 are believed to remain.
Just last week, Israel’s Western allies, including Britain, France, Canada, and Australia, acknowledged Palestinian statehood.