Qatar Blames Israel for Hamas Funding Amid New Yorker Report

Qatar has launched an unprecedented verbal assault against the New Yorker magazine's investigative report, which alleged that Doha directly transferred funds to the Hamas terror organization. In an official statement, Qatar asserted that the report constitutes a disinformation campaign serving the Israeli right-wing narrative. "To remove any doubt, Qatar's aid was directed to Palestinian civilians in Gaza through mechanisms coordinated with Israeli authorities and international partners," the Qatari authorities clarified.

Qatar further placed full responsibility on Israel, stating, "Qatar's aid has been provided for many years under successive Israeli governments. If any funding reached Hamas, it had no connection to Qatar. In fact, the responsibility for this lies with Israel, which supervised the transfer, including under the tenures of Bennett, Lapid, and Netanyahu."

The Qatari offensive coincides with reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was previously warned about the issue. A senior former Military Intelligence (AMAN) official stated, "We had proof of official transfers. We saw it, documented it, and passed it to the Prime Minister. He did nothing; he continued the policy."

Netanyahu's office swiftly rejected these claims, calling them "a collection of recycled lies already refuted in the past." The Prime Minister's office added, "All heads of the security establishment supported the Qatari grants."