Successive Israeli governments helped establish, operate, and preserve a Qatari financial assistance mechanism for Hamas-controlled Gaza for years while simultaneously criticizing Doha in public, according to official correspondence and testimony revealed in an investigation by TIME magazine.
Did You Know? Following Hamas’s seizure of the strip in 2007, Doha started sending money to Gaza following Hamas’s takeover of the territory in 2007, and by 2012 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration had endorsed a system granting Israel an active part in easing the aid.
Official Letters Reveal Private Appeals for Qatari Funds
The newly surfaced records feature a 2020 missive dispatched by then-Mossad chief Yossi Cohen to the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Cohen thanked Qatar for its humanitarian assistance to Gaza, writing that the aid helped improve humanitarian conditions and ensure regional stability and security.
A separate communication from that same year came via a National Security Council official referred to within the probe as “R.L. Maoz,” explicitly asking that the payments continue. Ambassador Mohammed al-Emadi, who heads the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, was designated by the official to route the money rather than relying on third-party states or outside middlemen.
According to TIME, these private appeals created a stark contradiction that angered Qatari officials. While senior Israeli figures publicly condemned Doha for financing Hamas, they privately urged Qatar to keep the funds flowing.
Vetting Recipients and Distributing Aid Through the United Nations
The cooperation was formalized over the years through arrangements involving Israel, Qatar, and the United Nations. On October 2, 2018, the parties signed an agreement to finance fuel shipments to Gaza.
Diplomats familiar with the mechanism explained that Israel vetted eligible recipients and supervised the distribution of funds. Aid money moved via the World Food Programme, and households obtained notification texts prior to picking up their stipends at specific allocation sites.
In August 2021, Qatar committed $40 million to a program providing nearly 100,000 Palestinian households with $100 per month for four months, an arrangement that was subsequently extended. A July 2019 letter showed Qatar notifying Netanyahu’s government of a $6 million transfer to 20,000 beneficiaries selected by Israel, though TIME noted it remains unclear how many recipients were affiliated with Hamas.
Mossad Director Visited Doha Weeks Before October 7
Approximately two weeks before the October 7, 2023, attack—when Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, murdering some 1,200 people and taking 251 more hostage, as reported by Time Magazine—Mossad director David Barnea traveled to Doha. Barnea requested the renewal of Qatari funding for another two months, arguing that financial assistance gave Hamas something to lose and provided Israel with influence over the organization.
Qatari officials agreed to the request but warned that it would be their final extension. The arrangement also continued under former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who ended the practice of allowing suitcases of cash into Gaza but kept the broader Qatari assistance program active.
Qatar Places Responsibility on Israel for Fund Management
The spokesperson added that if any funding reached Hamas, the responsibility lies with Israel for supervising the transfers and establishing the mechanism.
Netanyahu has previously defended the assistance in interviews, stating it was intended to ensure a functioning civilian administration and prevent a humanitarian collapse in water, sewage, and education systems. The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the latest investigation.
Mossad Director Traveled to Doha to Request Funding Extension
When did Israel begin directly participating in the Qatari funding mechanism for Gaza?
According to the investigation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government had approved a mechanism giving Israel a direct role in facilitating assistance by 2012.
Who requested the funding extension shortly before the October 7 attack?
Mossad director David Barnea traveled to Doha approximately two weeks before the October 7, 2023, attack to request a two-month renewal of Qatari funding.
How has Qatar responded to questions about money potentially reaching Hamas?
Qatar’s International Media Office stated that any responsibility for funds reaching Hamas lies with Israel, which established the mechanism and supervised the transfers.