Qatar is demanding an apology from Israel for its strike on Doha before it resumes mediation for a peace agreement in the Gaza Strip, Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the situation.
Qatar withdrew from its role as a mediator after Israel struck Doha on September 9. Israeli authorities accused Qatar of harboring fighters. The Israel Defense Forces army claims that the attacks were aimed at Hamas members who led the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
An apology now would be a “politically explosive move“ for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but a source familiar with the situation said the Qataris understood the complexity of the political situation in Israel and were “ready to accept flexibility in the wording of the apology“, the publication reported.
Two sources said Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had requested an apology and that he had raised the issue during a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on September 16 in Doha.
Five Hamas members and a Qatari security official were killed in an Israeli strike in Doha. A source familiar with the situation said the Qataris could accept an Israeli apology that would “focus“ on the killing of the Qatari security official, along with promises to compensate his family and not violate Qatari sovereignty again, the publication reported.