Was Benjamin Netanyahu reading from a script when he apologised to Qatar? That’s the question buzzing after the White House released a black-and-white photo showing US President Donald Trump holding the phone while the Israeli Prime Minister appears to read from a sheet of paper.
The image was taken in the Oval Office on Monday, and purportedly captures Netanyahu’s phone call with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.
According to officials, the call was pushed by Trump during his meeting with Netanyahu. In it, the Israeli leader apologised for ordering a strike on Hamas leaders in Doha. Bibi, the nickname by which the Israeli PM is universally known, reportedly expressed “deep regret” for the September 9 strike, acknowledged the breach of sovereignty, and pledged no repeat of such an attack.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
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Published By:
Devika Bhattacharya
Published On:
Oct 1, 2025