Netanyahu’s Apology to Qatari PM for Doha Strike Is Criticized by Both the Cabinet and Opposition Ministers
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an apology to Qatar for Israel’s September 9 strike in Doha. This operation killed a Qatari security guard along with several low-level Hamas operatives but missed senior leaders who were the intended targets.
He has received harsh criticism from right-wing minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the Opposition, the Democrats party chairman, Yair Golan, for the apology.
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According to Channel 12, Netanyahu spoke by phone with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani while at the White House, with US President Donald Trump also joining the call. Israeli officials confirmed that Netanyahu expressed regret for breaching Qatari sovereignty and signaled that Israel may compensate the family of the guard. He also pledged no further strikes would be carried out on Qatari soil.
Diplomatic sources said the move was aimed at restarting negotiations over a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages. Qatar had refused to continue mediating after the Doha strike, and Israeli officials believe Netanyahu’s apology was essential to bringing the Gulf state back into the process. Qatari media reported that his assurance not to launch future attacks was folded into the Trump administration’s 21-point proposal for Gaza’s postwar framework.
Trump has pressed for Arab and Muslim states to endorse the plan, despite revisions that tilt closer to Israel’s position. Washington believes Qatar may now be prepared to help persuade Hamas to accept demilitarization of Gaza.
The apology, however, sparked backlash in Israel. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called the strike “important, just, and supremely moral.” At the same time, opposition figure Yair Golan denounced the apology as “a humiliation,” arguing that Israel cannot defeat Hamas so long as Netanyahu and Qatar remain central actors.
