Netanyahu Accused of Distorting Intelligence on Qatari Funds to Hamas

A report alleges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu selectively presented intelligence assessments to the State Comptroller regarding the period before October 7th, omitting crucial details about the flow of Qatari funds to Hamas's military wing. Netanyahu's office, in a document submitted to the Comptroller, claimed that security agencies presented an optimistic outlook on Gaza prior to the Hamas attack. However, the full context of these documents, particularly from the Mossad, suggests a more complex and concerning picture.

According to the report, a Mossad intelligence review from September 21, 2023, indicated Hamas's policy of increasing civilian pressure on the Gaza border to extract economic concessions from Israel, Egypt, and Qatar, while carefully avoiding a military confrontation. Netanyahu's public statements and the document he shared with the Comptroller reportedly omitted the latter part of this assessment, which stated Hamas would not shy away from conflict if necessary. Furthermore, the report claims Netanyahu ignored other sections of the document detailing Hamas's deliberate policy of escalating friction and its determination to extract civilian-economic gains.

The article further contends that Netanyahu's narrative, amplified by Likud spokespeople, falsely suggests that security chiefs pushed for the Qatari payments and warned against halting them. In reality, the report asserts, the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN) had long opposed the direct transfer of Qatari funds, warning that millions of dollars were being diverted to Hamas's military buildup. These agencies repeatedly requested alternative, more controlled mechanisms for fund transfer, such as through the Palestinian Authority or as goods and fuel under strict supervision.

Evidence presented includes intelligence documents from 2020 and 2021 that explicitly stated Hamas was systematically diverting approximately $4 million monthly to its military wing, totaling tens of millions of dollars. The report criticizes Netanyahu's selective quoting from his own defense document submitted to the Comptroller, accusing him of 'cherry-picking' information and omitting details that acknowledge the diversion of funds to the military and the security establishment's calls for alternative mechanisms. The article also highlights that the policy of accepting Qatari funds began in 2018, a fact allegedly downplayed in the selective release of information, which led to the resignation of then-Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

In response, the Prime Minister's Office dismissed the report as a recycled collection of lies aimed at misleading the public before elections. They maintained that all security chiefs supported the Qatari grant, believing it would ensure quiet in Gaza and was directed towards civilian and humanitarian needs. The PMO stated that these funds constituted only 1% of the total money entering Gaza and that any claim of their use for the military wing is baseless.