Netanyahu Apologizes; U.S.-Led Trilateral Mechanism Agreed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during a Trump-hosted trilateral call — the first public direct contact between the leaders — for Israel’s Sept. 9 missile strike in Doha that unintentionally killed a Qatari security officer and violated Qatari sovereignty. Netanyahu pledged such an attack would not recur, and both leaders accepted a U.S.-led trilateral mechanism proposed by President Trump to improve coordination, communication, resolve mutual grievances and prevent future incidents. The apology was presented as a step to persuade Qatar to resume its critical mediation with Hamas on a ceasefire, hostage releases and broader negotiations to end the Gaza war. The Sept. 9 strike failed to eliminate senior Hamas leaders and killed lower-level militants in addition to the Qatari officer, prompting Qatar to pause its mediation. The outreach prompted sharp domestic backlash from right-wing ministers including Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, who denounced the apology and defended the strike.