Israeli PM Netanyahu dials Qatari PM from White House, apologizes for strikes on Doha; here's what you need to know

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani for Israel's attack in Doha during a telephone call from the White House on Monday (September 29, 2025), a source told news agency Reuters.

A diplomat, speaking to news agency AFP on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu voiced regret for the violation of Qatari sovereignty and the death of a Qatari security guard in the September strikes.

Netanyahu’s dialed the Qatari Prime Minister came as he met US President Donald Trump in Washington. A separate source who was closely following talks told Reuters that a Qatari technical team is also at the White House. Israeli Prime Minister's apology came over the strikes carried out by Israel in an attempt to take out Hamas' leaders in the September 9, 2025, attack in Doha. The strikes ended up killing Qatari security guard and lower-level officials.


The apology was a key Qatari condition for resuming its mediation with Hamas over a deal to end the war in Gaza and free the remaining hostages, according to Axios. Netanyahu met Trump days after speech at the United Nations rejecting demands to end the war in Gaza.

The White House meeting comes as Israel continues isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies, according to news agency AP. Things back home are also not pleasant for Netanyahu as his governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. Trump and Netanyahu are first holding talks with aides in the Oval Office.

As Trump welcomed Netanyahu to the White House on Monday morning, he responded affirmatively when asked by reporters whether he was confident a deal would be soon reached to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas. “I am. I'm very confident,” the US president said, as quoted by AP.

White House urges Israel-Hamas to get to ceasefire, hostage release deal

Hours before Netanyahu and Trump met for talks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged both sides to finalize an agreement to bring an end to the nearly two-year old war in Gaza.

“Ultimately the president knows when you get to a good deal, both sides are going to leave a little bit unhappy,” Leavitt told reporters at the White House on Monday morning. “But we need this conflict to end.”

In a post Sunday on social media, Trump said: “We have a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!”

Trump’s proposal to stop the war in Gaza

Trump’s proposal to stop the war in Gaza calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, news agency AP reported, citing three Arab officials briefed on the plan. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been formally unveiled.

Israel-Hamas war

The October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas militants that killed about 1,200 people in Israel, saw 251 taken hostage and triggered the war.

According to AP, Israel’s sweeping offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration. The fighting has displaced 90% of the Gaza population, with an increasing number now starving.

Hamas is believed to be holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed by Israel to be alive. The militant group has demanded Israel agree to end the war and withdraw from all of Gaza as part of any permanent ceasefire.