Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister has formally apologised to Qatar after an unprecedented Israeli missile strike in Doha earlier this month killed a Qatari citizen and several Hamas members, sparking global outrage.
The apology was delivered on Monday during a joint call with Donald Trump, United States president and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime minister, following a White House meeting.
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A White House statement said Netanyahu expressed “deep regret” over the September 9 attack, which targeted Hamas leaders during ceasefire negotiations but ended up killing Badr Al-Dosari, a Qatari serviceman, and violating Qatar’s sovereignty.
“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.” the statement added.
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The missile strike killed at least five Hamas officials and a Qatari security officer but failed to eliminate Hamas’s top leadership, who were present in Doha for US-backed mediation efforts. It marked Israel’s first military strike on Qatari soil, a move that shook diplomatic channels given Qatar’s role as a key mediator in ceasefire talks and its hosting of the US military’s largest Middle East base, Al Udeid.
Qatar’s foreign ministry confirmed the call, describing the attack as a “blatant violation of sovereignty” and stressing that assurances had been received from Washington to prevent any recurrence. The Qatari leader thanked Trump for “guarantees of US defence partnership with Qatar” while also welcoming Netanyahu’s apology.
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Netanyahu himself was quoted on his official X account telling the Qatari prime minister: “Israel regrets that one of your citizens was killed in our strike. I want to assure you that Israel was targeting Hamas, not Qataris. I also want to assure you that Israel has no plan to violate your sovereignty again in the future.”
However, he also underscored Israel’s grievances with Doha, citing Qatar’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, its support for Hamas.
The strike drew swift and widespread condemnation. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it a “flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Within days, nearly 60 Muslim-majority countries gathered in Doha in a show of solidarity with Qatar.
For now, both governments have sought to contain the fallout. Qatar said it remained committed to “contributing to regional security and stability,” while the White House framed Netanyahu’s apology as a step toward de-escalation.
