Report: Israel Facilitated $2 Billion Qatar Aid to Gaza, Aware of Hamas Funding

By ynet

Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba

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Hebrew · 11 newsrooms covering

An investigation by TIME magazine revealed that Israel facilitated nearly $2 billion in Qatari aid to Gaza over a decade, aware of Hamas funding. Governments under Benjamin Netanyahu approved and encouraged these transfers, even establishing distribution mechanisms. This funding supported roughly half of Hamas's military wing budget, a policy reportedly aimed at maintaining stability and weakening the Palestinian Authority.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Israel facilitated nearly $2 billion in Qatari aid to Gaza over more than a decade, according to a TIME magazine investigation.
Israeli governments, including those led by Benjamin Netanyahu, approved and encouraged the fund transfers.
Israel was aware that some of the Qatari funds were being used to finance Hamas, the report states.
The transferred funds financed approximately half of Hamas's military wing budget.
The policy was reportedly aimed at maintaining stability in Gaza and weakening the Palestinian Authority.

Report: Israel Facilitated $2 Billion Qatar Aid to Gaza, Aware of Hamas Funding — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

An extensive investigation by American magazine TIME has revealed previously unpublished documents and correspondence indicating Israel's direct involvement in facilitating the transfer of nearly $2 billion from Qatar to the Gaza Strip over more than a decade. According to the report, governments led by Benjamin Netanyahu not only approved these fund transfers but actively encouraged their continuation, participated in determining distribution mechanisms, and worked to maintain the funding arrangements even while senior Israeli officials publicly criticized Qatar for allegedly funding Hamas.

In addition to diverting funds intended for humanitarian aid, the investigation uncovered a secret, direct funding channel from Qatar to Hamas. These funds, known to Netanyahu, financed approximately half the budget of Hamas's entire military wing. The report suggests that Israel's motivation for this policy was to maintain stability in Gaza and prevent the Palestinian Authority from regaining control, thereby weakening Hamas without directly confronting it.