Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally apologised to Qatar for the killing of a Qatari citizen during an unprecedented Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha earlier this month, an incident that drew widespread international condemnation. 

The apology was conveyed on Monday during a joint call between Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, facilitated by US President Donald Trump at the White House.

“As a first step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep regret that Israel’s missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman,” the White House said. 

Netanyahu also acknowledged that the attack violated Qatari sovereignty and pledged that Israel would not conduct a similar operation again.

The September 9 strike, which targeted senior Hamas leaders involved in US-backed ceasefire negotiations, killed at least five lower-ranking Hamas members and Qatari security official Badr Al-Dosari. Senior Hamas leaders survived the assassination attempt.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the call, highlighting US efforts to address the repercussions of the attack on a residential neighbourhood housing the Hamas delegation. The ministry said the prime minister thanked Trump for guarantees preventing future aggression and reaffirmed Qatar’s readiness to support regional security and stability.

Netanyahu reiterated that Israel had targeted Hamas, not Qatari citizens, while also noting grievances against Qatar, including support for the Muslim Brotherhood and anti-Israel sentiment in media and on campuses.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the strike as a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty. Following the apology, experts said the call marked a “significant” step for regional mediation. 

Sultan Barakat, professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, told Al Jazeera: “Qatar has said it could not continue mediation efforts without a public apology and assurance from Netanyahu that it will not happen again. This is critical for preserving the space for dialogue.”

Source: Al Jazeera 

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