Overview

• An Israeli strike in Doha killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer, the first known Israeli airstrike in a Gulf state, according to Axios.
• Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al‑Thani conveyed the demand for an apology to Secretary of State Marco Rubio during their meeting in Doha, Axios reported.
• The issue was also discussed in Rubio’s talks with Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli minister Ron Dermer, and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff was scheduled to meet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al‑Thani in New York on Saturday.
• Qatar is said to be open to a narrowly framed apology focused on the slain officer, with compensation for his family and assurances against future violations of Qatari sovereignty.
• Netanyahu has accused Qatar of harboring terrorists and suggested Israel could strike again, while U.S. officials say a hostage deal and Gaza truce will be very difficult without Doha’s mediation and a senior Israeli official now concedes the fallout was misjudged.