Qatar Denies Allegations of Influence Campaign, Blames Israel for Aid Diversion

Qatar has issued a strong rebuttal to a recent New Yorker article detailing alleged influence operations and the diversion of aid to Hamas, dismissing the report as a deliberate campaign based on fabricated documents. The Qatari Ministry of Communications stated it possesses "solid evidence" that various actors, including "the far-right in Israel," have been involved in creating and disseminating fake documents to implicate Qatar.

The New Yorker investigation suggested a covert influence campaign originating from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. It alleged that political advisor Istrael Einhorn and Qatari lobbyist in Washington, Jay Putterlik, orchestrated efforts to improve Qatar's image in Israel after October 7th. The report also claimed that Netanyahu's senior advisor, Yonatan Urikh, was employed by Einhorn's firm "Perception" and received payments channeled through an intermediary company.

Former Prime Minister's spokesperson, Eli Feldstein, reportedly recruited to disseminate talking points to Israeli media, including false claims attributed to "senior American officials" that Egypt was unfit to mediate hostage deals, leaving only Qatar capable. The article also touched upon the leak of a classified document to the German newspaper Bild, intended to quell public protests following the killing of six hostages in Rafah. Feldstein stated he personally presented the document to Netanyahu and received approval to release it to the press.

Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo questioned how the Prime Minister could be unaware of his staff working for a foreign country, calling it "betrayal." The report also cited claims from former Mossad official Udi Levy that Netanyahu himself received funds from Qatar in 2012 and 2018, allegations Netanyahu has vehemently denied as a "hoax" and for which he has filed defamation lawsuits.

Qatar asserted the article is based on "false and fabricated information," calling it "more like an amateur blog than reporting from a reputable media outlet." They stated they provided clear evidence of document forgery prior to publication. Regarding aid diversion, Qatar maintained that all funds, medicine, and fuel were directed to civilians via mechanisms coordinated with Israeli authorities and international partners, with all transfers passing through Israel. Qatar concluded that if any funds reached Hamas, it was unrelated to Qatar, and the responsibility lies with Israel, which oversaw the process under various governments and through its intelligence agencies.