Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly issued an apology to Qatar for a devastating Israeli strike in Doha earlier this month that was reported to have killed six, including Hamas members and one Qatari security official.
Netanyahu delivered the apology during a phone call from the White House on Monday to Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Reuters reported.
The call took place whilst Netanyahu was meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington. The news emerges as Trump’s Gaza peace plan mapped as Netanyahu pledges support.
Relations between the two leaders have grown increasingly strained in recent months, with Trump voicing his frustration regarding Israel’s attack on Qatar, a crucial US ally.
It remains uncertain whether the US president applied pressure on the Israeli leader to issue an apology, reports the Express US.
Netanyahu’s apology represents a dramatic U-turn from the Israeli leader, who earlier this month branded Qatar as being “tied to Hamas” and declared the attack was “entirely justified.
“If Qatar wanted, it could easily apply much harder pressure, which would help us free all of our hostages in the first months of the war,” he told The Times of Israel.
“It [Qatar] is tied to Hamas. It strengthens Hamas. It hosts Hamas. It funds Hamas. It has much stronger levers, and it chose not to do that.”
Qatar condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms.”
The US confirmed that Israel had alerted it prior to the strike.
Hamas stated that whilst its senior leaders survived the strike, five lower-ranking members were killed. Trump and Netanyahu are convening amidst escalating global pressure to conclude the nearly two-year-long conflict in Gaza.
Despite this, Netanyahu remains steadfast in his commitment to continue the offensive until Hamas is eradicated.
According to unnamed Arab officials cited by The Associated Press, Trump’s plan to halt the war in Gaza includes an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 48 hours, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian territory.
Hamas sparked the current conflict by killing over 1,200 Israelis in a suprise attack, is believed to be holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are thought to be alive. The Iran-backed militant group has demanded that Israel agree to end the war and withdraw from Gaza as part of any ceasefire agreement.
The Health Ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas and does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its data, reports that Israel’s offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 66,000 Palestinians. Several Arab nations and UN experts have accused Israel of committing genocide.
The world’s leading authority on hunger crises has stated that Israel’s blockade and ongoing offensive have plunged Gaza City into famine. Over 300,000 individuals have fled the city in recent weeks due to Israel’s orders for the population to relocate south, but an estimated 700,000 remain.
Last week, Israel’s Western allies, including Britain, France, Canada, and Australia, acknowledged Palestinian statehood.
