Overview
- Politico, citing three anonymous sources, reported the White House drafted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and had him read it from the Oval Office.
- The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office publicly rejected the report as "fake news," asserting the apology’s wording was prepared by Netanyahu and his professional team.
- Officials confirm a Qatari representative was present for the call; Politico identified Ali al‑Thawadi as ensuring Netanyahu did not deviate from the script, while Israel says the official had no contact with its delegation.
- A White House readout said Netanyahu expressed deep regret for the death of a Qatari serviceman, acknowledged a violation of Qatari sovereignty, and affirmed Israel would not carry out such an attack again.
- The apology helped restore Qatar’s role in Gaza mediation and was followed by a U.S. presidential security guarantee to Doha, drawing strong criticism from Israeli political figures.