WASHINGTON
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani over an attack on Doha he authorized earlier this month, the White House said Monday.
The mea culpa was offered during a trilateral telephone call with US President Donald Trump on the line as he hosted the Israeli leader at the White House.
"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 in an exceptionally rare formal readout of the call.
"He further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future," it added.
Al Thani, the statement said, "welcomed these assurances, emphasizing Qatar’s readiness to continue contributing meaningfully to regional security and stability. Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed commitment to the same."
Israel attempted to assassinate the leadership of Palestinian group Hamas in Qatar during a series of strikes on the capital Doha on Sept. 9. Hamas announced that its delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, survived, but that al-Hayya’s chief of staff, Jihad Lebed, his son Hammam al-Hayya, and three aides were killed.
A member of Qatar's internal security force was also killed.
The White House said the leaders agreed to a proposal put forward by Trump to establish a "trilateral mechanism to enhance coordination, improve communication, resolve mutual grievances, and strengthen collective efforts to prevent threats."
It said Trump "expressed his desire to put Israeli-Qatar relations on a positive track after years of mutual grievances and miscommunications."
"President Trump praised both leaders for their willingness to take steps toward greater cooperation in the interest of peace and security for all," the White House added.
Qatari welcome
The Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed the Israeli regret during the phone call, saying in a statement that the Qatari premier thanked Trump for his efforts to achieve peace in the region, including US guarantees to prevent a repeat of the Israeli attack and its commitment to the defense partnership with Qatar.
During the call, the statement said, Netanyahu offered an apology for the attack and the violation of Qatari sovereignty, pledging that Israel would not target Qatari territory again.
Al Thani reaffirmed Qatar’s absolute rejection of any infringement on its sovereignty, underlining that protecting citizens and residents is a top priority.
He welcomed US assurances and Israeli commitments and reiterated Qatar’s readiness to continue engaging diplomatically to end the Gaza war under the framework of President Trump’s initiative, in line with Doha’s longstanding approach of pursuing peaceful solutions to regional crises.
According to media reports, Trump unveiled a 21-point plan during meetings with Arab and Islamic leaders last Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The plan calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the release of all Israeli captives within 48 hours. It also outlines the creation of international and Palestinian administrative bodies to gradually govern Gaza, explicitly excluding Hamas from any political or security role.
The Israeli army has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.