Trump Holds Phone As Netanyahu reads apology to Qatar

According to officials, the call was pushed by Trump during his meeting with Netanyahu. In it, the Israeli leader apologised for ordering a strike on Hamas leaders in Doha.

The Israeli strike on Doha killed five people, among them the son of senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya. Trump, who initially claimed to have no prior knowledge of the attack, was reportedly furious with Netanyahu for acting unilaterally.

In a heated phone conversation with Netanyahu, Trump had called the strike “not wise” and warned that such moves risked destabilising fragile regional diplomacy. Qatar, a key mediator alongside Egypt in Gaza ceasefire talks, had gone further, condemning the bombing as “cowardly” and a blatant violation of international law.

Netanyahu had defended his decision, insisting he had only a narrow window of opportunity to act.

Bibi, the nickname by which the Israeli PM is universally known, reportedly expressed “deep regret” for the September 9 strike to his Qatari counterpart. He also acknowledged the breach of sovereignty and pledged no repeat of such an attack.

Whether the words were his own or slipped to him by a White House aide is up for debate. What’s striking is the optics: Trump, who is a staunch ally of Netanyahu, put him in a position of being dictated to. Netanyahu has his head lowered, presumably spelling words of regret and making assurances under the US President’s hawk-like gaze.

For Trump, it was a small but powerful display of leverage — forcing the Israeli leader into a posture of humility rarely seen in public.

The apology also served a practical purpose. Qatar had been drifting away from mediation efforts after the Doha strike. By compelling Netanyahu to say sorry, Trump may have been trying to repair that rupture and rebuild trust needed to bring Qatar back to the table.