Qatar Slams Shin Bet Probe, Denies Funding Hamas’s October 7th Onslaught

Qatar Slams Shin Bet Probe, Denies Funding Hamas’s October 7th Onslaught

By: Fern Sidman

In a sharp rebuke to Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, Qatar on Wednesday dismissed allegations that its financial aid to Gaza over the years contributed to Hamas’s military buildup ahead of the October 7, 2023, onslaught. The Gulf state, which has long been a financial patron of Gaza, maintained that its aid has been strictly humanitarian in nature and accused Israeli security officials of using Doha as a scapegoat for their own failures, as was reported by The Times of Israel.

The Shin Bet report, which remains classified in full, pointed to multiple factors that facilitated Hamas’s ability to launch its devastating attack on Israel last October. Among them, it highlighted Israel’s yearslong policy of allowing Qatar to transfer funds to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. According to the information provided in The Times of Israel, the probe specifically mentioned that between 2018 and 2021, Israel had approved Qatari financial assistance earmarked for salaries of Hamas employees and cash payments to struggling families in Gaza. The security agency later characterized “the flow of money from Qatar to Gaza and its delivery to Hamas’s military wing” as one of the key factors enabling the terror group’s force buildup.

Qatar’s International Media Office immediately pushed back, rejecting what it called “false accusations made by the Shin Bet security agency linking Qatari aid to the October 7 attack.” The Times of Israel report indicated that Doha’s statement argued that these claims were an attempt at political deflection, saying, “At this critical juncture, the Shin Bet and other Israeli security agencies should focus on saving the remaining hostages and finding a solution that ensures long-term regional security, rather than resorting to diversionary tactics such as scapegoating Qatar for political longevity.”

The report at Times of Israel said that while the Qatari payments were officially designated for humanitarian assistance, critics have long raised concerns about the fungibility of money. Detractors of Israel’s policy of facilitating Qatari cash infusions have argued that while the funds were not explicitly given to Hamas’s military wing, they may have indirectly freed up resources that the terror group could then redirect toward its militant activities. The Shin Bet report suggests that Hamas used the financial breathing room provided by these payments to bolster its capabilities in preparation for last year’s attack.

However, Qatar has staunchly defended its aid program, insisting that all funds were transferred with “the full knowledge, support, and supervision” of Israeli authorities. As was reported by the Times of Israel, Doha emphasized that its assistance has always been humanitarian, consisting of essential supplies such as food, medicine, and electricity for Gaza’s civilian population. Furthermore, it highlighted that funds distributed to families in need were managed under the oversight of the United Nations through programs that had been approved by Israel itself.

The growing tension between Israel and Qatar over this issue comes amid broader geopolitical complexities. As the report in The Times of Israel has detailed, Qatar has long played a dual role in the region—serving as both a mediator in hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas and a host to some of Hamas’s political leadership. This positioning has led to criticism from Israeli officials and analysts who argue that Qatar cannot simultaneously be a broker of peace while continuing to provide financial support that, they contend, has inadvertently benefited Hamas.

Qatar’s forceful response to the Shin Bet report suggests that it views these allegations as part of a broader attempt to shift blame onto external actors rather than addressing Israel’s internal security lapses leading up to October 7. Doha has dismissed claims that its aid ever directly reached Hamas’s political or military apparatus, labeling such assertions as “entirely false.”

Despite the controversy, the issue of Qatari aid remains central to ongoing discussions about Gaza’s post-war reconstruction and the future of international financial assistance to the territory. According to the Times of Israel, Israeli officials are now reevaluating their approach to foreign funding in Gaza, with growing calls for stricter oversight mechanisms to ensure that humanitarian assistance does not indirectly benefit terrorist groups.

The Times of Israel has detailed allegations surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former spokesman, Eli Feldstein, who has been charged with harming national security in a case involving the theft and leaking of classified Israel Defense Forces (IDF) documents. Shin Bet’s probe is now looking into claims that Feldstein worked for Qatar through an international firm contracted by Doha to influence Israeli journalists by promoting pro-Qatar narratives. The investigation, which has sent shockwaves through Israel’s political and security establishments, has raised concerns about foreign influence and the extent of Qatar’s involvement in Israeli media discourse.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, however, has denied any knowledge of his country hiring any of Netanyahu’s aides, according to the report at The Times of Israel. Seeking to clarify Qatar’s position, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari gave a rare interview to Israeli media, telling The Times of Israel on Sunday: “Regarding aid from Qatar to Gaza, we’ve been very clear and transparent about this from the beginning. All of the aid that went into Gaza was monitored by the Israeli government, and the process was actually not only welcomed but requested by the Israeli government.”

While Qatar insists that its aid to Gaza has been strictly humanitarian and approved by Israeli authorities, a report in Yedioth Ahronoth, highlighted by the Times of Israel, has alleged that Netanyahu himself played a direct role in initiating Qatari payments to Gaza. The report claims that Netanyahu blocked a Saudi-led initiative to rebuild Gaza after the 2014 Israel-Hamas war—an effort that would have sidelined Hamas and placed the Strip under a revamped Palestinian Authority (PA). Instead, Netanyahu reportedly preferred to allow Qatari funding to prop up Hamas’s rule rather than see Gaza shift to PA control.

This revelation has reignited political debate in Israel, particularly given Netanyahu’s past public defense of Qatari payments. As The Times of Israel report noted, the prime minister openly endorsed the Qatari funding in 2018, arguing that it was necessary to prevent a humanitarian collapse in Gaza. However, critics—both within and outside Israel’s security establishment—have long cautioned that these funds might have indirectly strengthened Hamas, a concern amplified by the findings of the Shin Bet investigation.

Adding to the controversy, the Times of Israel reported that elements within Israel’s intelligence community had previously warned about the risks of the Qatari payments. Notably, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who briefly led the country from 2021 to 2022, reportedly ordered the payments to stop. However, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth report cited by The Times of Israel, Netanyahu reversed this decision upon regaining office, ensuring that Qatari funding to Gaza resumed.

These revelations raise pressing questions about Israel’s long-term policy toward Gaza and its approach to Qatar’s role in the region. While Netanyahu’s office has denied the latest allegations, the ongoing Shin Bet investigation could have far-reaching implications for Israel’s political and security landscape.