Israel Facilitated Qatari Aid to Gaza, Documents Reveal

Official documents and diplomatic exchanges revealed by Time magazine indicate that Israeli governments played a significant role in organizing and overseeing Qatar's financial aid to the Gaza Strip for several years. This mechanism, which continued despite public criticism of Qatar's ties to Hamas, involved Israel in supervising the distribution of funds and maintaining the aid system.

Among the documents is a 2020 letter from Yossi Cohen, then director of the Mossad, to Qatar's Emir Tamim ben Hamad Al Thani, expressing gratitude for humanitarian aid that improved the situation in Gaza and preserved regional stability. Another letter from the same year, attributed to an Israeli National Security Council official identified as "R. L. Maoz," explicitly requested the continuation of these payments, emphasizing their importance and specifying that funds should be channeled through Qatari Ambassador Mohammed al-Emadi.

Qatar began transferring funds to Gaza after Hamas took control in 2007. According to Time, Benjamin Netanyahu's government approved a mechanism in 2012 that gave Israel a direct role in organizing aid, including food, medical supplies, financial assistance to families, and electricity projects. This cooperation evolved into a system involving Israel, Qatar, and the United Nations, with a 2018 agreement to fund fuel deliveries and a 2021 program providing $100 monthly payments to nearly 100,000 Palestinian households.

Diplomats cited by the magazine stated that Israel verified beneficiaries' identities and supervised distribution, with funds often routed through the World Food Programme. A July 2019 letter indicated Qatar planned to transfer $6 million to 20,000 beneficiaries selected by Israel. Time noted, however, that it was impossible to determine how many recipients were affiliated with Hamas.

In the weeks before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, Qatari officials sought to alter the aid system, while the Netanyahu government reportedly wished to preserve the existing mechanism. Approximately two weeks before the attack, Mossad Director David Barnea visited Doha to request an extension of Qatari funding, which Qatar reportedly agreed to, with the warning that it would be the last. Israeli officials argued that continued aid would give Hamas "something to lose" and act as leverage.

Qatar has stated that its aid was delivered to Palestinian civilians through mechanisms coordinated with Israeli authorities and international partners, asserting that Israel bears responsibility if funds were diverted to Hamas due to its oversight role. Critics of Netanyahu argue this policy helped maintain Hamas in power and fostered division with the Palestinian Authority. Netanyahu, however, defended the funding as necessary for maintaining civil services and avoiding a humanitarian crisis. A former senior Israeli defense official called the strategy a "political failure" driven by good intentions but attributed a central role in its promotion and implementation to Netanyahu.