Qatar ready to continue mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza
Qatar has affirmed its readiness to
press ahead with mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza after Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret for a recent strike in Doha that
killed a Qatari officer and violated Qatar’s sovereignty.
In a trilateral call with US
President Donald Trump and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh
Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Netanyahu voiced “deep regret” over the
September 9 airstrike that targeted Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital. He
assured that Israel would not carry out such an attack again.
Hamas confirmed its leaders survived
the strike, though five members of the group were killed, including the son and
office director of chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. A Qatari Internal Security
Force member also lost his life.
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Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said Netanyahu apologized for the attack and pledged not to repeat it, while Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the assurances and reiterated Qatar’s commitment to supporting efforts to end the conflict within the framework of Trump’s newly announced peace plan.
The White House said the call was
part of an effort to reset ties between Doha and Tel Aviv after years of
mistrust, while Trump described his 20-point Gaza peace proposal as “beyond
close” to a final deal. Eight Arab and Muslim states, including Qatar, have
already expressed support and shared the plan with Hamas leaders in Doha.
The Israeli apology has drawn sharp
criticism inside Israel, with far-right ministers condemning it as a
humiliation, while opposition figures accused Netanyahu of mishandling both the
war and diplomacy.
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Qatar, a key US ally and host of Hamas’s political bureau since 2012, has long served—alongside the US and Egypt—as a mediator in indirect talks between Hamas and Israel throughout the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza.
Source: BBC