Netanyahu's Qatar apology scripted? Photo shows him reading from paper
What's the story
A black-and-white photograph released by the White House has sparked speculation over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent apology to Qatar. The image, taken in the Oval Office on Monday, shows United States President Donald Trump holding a phone while Netanyahu appears to read from a script. The call was reportedly initiated by Trump during his meeting with Netanyahu after an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha last month.
Apology debate
Netanyahu 'expressed his deep regret'
During the call, Netanyahu "expressed his deep regret that Israel's missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman," an official White House readout said. He "further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future," it continued.
Twitter Post
White House releases pictures of call
The White House has released a photo of President Trump holding the phone in his lap as Netanyahu reads the apology letter to Qatar. pic.twitter.com/VLPNNxegvR
— Faisal Ali Shah (@FaisalzUpdates) September 30, 2025
Incident details
Trump furious over Netanyahu's 'not wise' strike in Doha
The Israeli strike on Doha killed five people, including the son of senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya. Despite being a staunch ally of Netanyahu, Trump was reportedly furious with him for acting unilaterally. He called the strike "not wise" and warned it could destabilize fragile regional diplomacy. Qatar, a key mediator alongside Egypt in Gaza ceasefire talks, had condemned the attack as "cowardly" and a blatant violation of international law.
Apology impact
White House released its plan for ending the war
Shortly after the phone call, the White House announced plans to end the war. The plan calls for the disarmament of Hamas and prohibits its future political role in Gaza. Instead, a technocratic transitional authority overseen by Trump would govern the territory. It also demands Hamas release 48 Israeli hostages within 72hrs of a ceasefire coming into effect. It offers a gradual withdrawal of Israeli military forces to a buffer zone and increased humanitarian aid for Gaza's 2.3 million residents.