Israel Acknowledged Qatar's Gaza Aid, Asked Funds to Continue, Report Says
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
A Time magazine report states Israel cooperated with Qatar's financial aid to Gaza for years and asked for it to continue. Documents show former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen thanked Qatar for its "humanitarian assistance" in 2020. Qatar asserts all aid was approved by Israel, expressing frustration over accusations linking its funding to the October 7th attacks. The report comes amid heightened Israeli scrutiny of Qatar's role and funding.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel requested Qatar not cease financial aid to Gaza, according to a Time magazine report.
- Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen thanked Qatar for its "humanitarian assistance" in a 2020 letter.
- Documents show Israel pre-approved over 27,000 families to receive Qatari donations.
- Qatar stated all its Gaza aid was transferred with Israel's approval and cooperation.
- Qatar expressed frustration over Israeli accusations linking its funding to the October 7th attacks.
- Opposition leader Yair Lapid proposed a bill to declare Qatar an enemy state.
A report by Time magazine revealed that Israel was fully aware of and cooperated with Qatar's long-standing practice of transferring funds to the Gaza Strip, even requesting that Doha not cease the financial aid. The investigation presented several documents, including a 2020 letter from then-Mossad chief Yossi Cohen to the Qatari government. In the letter, sent during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure, Cohen expressed Israel's appreciation and gratitude for Qatar's "humanitarian assistance" to Gaza, stating it was crucial for improving living conditions, alleviating suffering, and achieving stability in the region.
Another document cited is a letter from Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the then-Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Kamil Abu Rokon. This letter informed COGAT that Qatar would transfer $300 to each of 20,000 families in Gaza, as agreed upon by a Qatari official and the head of COGAT's civilian department. The beneficiaries were selected from over 27,000 families pre-approved by Israel to receive Qatari donations.
A third letter, dated 2020 and partially quoted, was written by Ronen Levi, Head of the Middle East and Africa Division at the National Security Council. Levi thanked Qatar for its aid to Gaza during the COVID-19 pandemic and requested the continuation of "economic humanitarian assistance through existing mechanisms." He specified that the aid should be channeled through Mohammed al-Emadi, head of the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and highlighted the significant achievements of this assistance.
Qatar's stance, as detailed in the report and quoting a spokesperson for Qatar's International Media Office, is that all its donations to Gaza were transferred with Israel's approval and full cooperation. Qatar expressed frustration over Israeli politicians blaming the country's funding for enabling the October 7th massacre. Since October 7th, Qatar has become a focal point in Israeli discourse, particularly following revelations about connections between Netanyahu associates and Qatar. In response, opposition leader Yair Lapid proposed a bill in February to declare Qatar an enemy state, citing its funding of Hamas. Naftali Bennett, chairman of the Together party, has also made declaring Qatar an enemy state a key election promise.
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