Washington/Dubai( The COW News Digital) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to Qatar for an Israeli airstrike in Doha earlier this month, according to a source close to the Israeli leader. The apology came during a phone call with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, placed from the White House on Monday.
The conciliatory gesture followed Netanyahu’s high-profile meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, who is pressing Israel to endorse a U.S.-led Gaza peace initiative. A Qatari technical delegation was also present in Washington for related talks.
The meeting marked Netanyahu’s fourth visit to Washington since Trump’s return to the presidency in January. It came as Israeli tanks advanced deeper into Gaza City amid one of Israel’s most intense offensives of the war. Netanyahu has pledged to eliminate Hamas “in its final redoubts,” even as international pressure mounts for a ceasefire.
Trump, who campaigned in 2024 on swiftly ending the conflict, has unveiled a 21-point plan aimed at securing a ceasefire, releasing hostages, and initiating Israeli withdrawals from Gaza. The proposal also commits Israel to halt future strikes on Qatar, a key U.S. ally and frequent mediator in Gaza negotiations.
While Arab states have broadly supported the plan, diplomats said Israel raised objections to several elements, including the role of Palestinian security forces in post-war Gaza and the expulsion of Hamas officials. Egypt, another mediator, has expressed concern about ensuring the Palestinian Authority’s role in Gaza’s future governance.
Netanyahu faces competing pressures at home: hostages’ families and much of the Israeli public want the war to end, but his far-right coalition partners oppose major concessions. Trump, however, has publicly expressed confidence, telling reporters outside the White House, “I’m very confident” about the prospects of a deal.
The apology to Qatar followed sharp criticism from Washington earlier this month, after an Israeli strike in Doha on September 9 targeted Hamas leaders but angered Qatari officials. Trump’s peace plan specifically includes provisions preventing further Israeli attacks on Qatari soil.
For now, Netanyahu’s willingness to engage on Trump’s framework and offer conciliatory gestures toward Qatar signals cautious flexibility. Yet with Hamas absent from the negotiations and divisions within Israel’s government, uncertainty remains over whether this latest diplomatic push can deliver lasting peace.
