The Dining Room of the White House carried the weight of history on Monday (September 29, 2025) afternoon as President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a sweeping Gaza peace proposal. But it was a quieter announcement tucked into the ceremony that caught seasoned diplomats off guard: Israel and Qatar, two nations long at odds, had agreed — with Washington’s hand on the scale — to form a trilateral mechanism aimed at repairing ties and coordinating security.The breakthrough was set in motion earlier, during a phone call that joined Mr. Trump, Mr. Netanyahu, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.For full coverage: Israel-Palestine conflictAccording to the White House readout, Mr. Netanyahu expressed “deep regret” over an Israeli missile strike that killed a Qatari serviceman during an operation against Hamas. He promised such an attack would not be repeated. Mr. Al Thani accepted the apology, a rare moment of public conciliation between the two governments.Contours of new channel in placeBy the time Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu appeared together before the press, the contours of the new channel were in place. “We agreed to launch a formal trilateral mechanism between Israel, Qatar, and the United States to enhance mutual security, correct misperceptions, and avoid future misgivings,” Mr. Trump said, casting the arrangement as a natural extension of his broader Gaza peace initiative.The move marked an unusual shift for Qatar, which has long navigated a delicate balance in the region. Doha hosts senior Hamas officials and has acted as a mediator in hostage negotiations. At the same time, it is home to the most extensive U.S. air base in the Middle East. For Israel, those ties have been a source of deep suspicion. Netanyahu himself acknowledged there were “quite a few” grievances with Qatar but added that putting the relationship on “a different footing” would benefit everyone.