Documents Reveal Covert Fuel Payments to Hamas Under Bennett Despite Public Claims

Internal security documents and secret meeting summaries revealed by Channel 13 expose a stark contrast between public statements by then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and the actual policies regarding Hamas funding. While Bennett publicly declared that "suitcases of dollars" funding Hamas would end, a covert alternative mechanism was approved in October 2021. Under this arrangement, Qatar purchased $10 million worth of fuel monthly from Egypt, which was then transferred to Gaza without Israeli oversight and delivered directly to Multi Trade, a Hamas-owned company. Profits from these sales funded salaries for Hamas officials.

The investigation centers on meetings between the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Rasan Alian, and the Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Amadi, codenamed "The Jeweler" by Israeli security. On October 17, 2021, Al-Amadi informed Israel of the fuel purchase scheme as a substitute for direct cash payments to Hamas officials. Concurrently, Al-Amadi requested Israel increase the monthly quota of Gaza workers allowed into Israel to 30,000.

The documents also reveal threats from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar conveyed through Al-Amadi, warning against changes to the status quo in Jerusalem or harsher conditions for security prisoners following the Gilboa prison escape. Israeli officials responded firmly, asserting sovereignty over Jerusalem. The reports refer to Hamas under the codename "The Greens" and note Qatar’s desire to reduce Hamas’s dependence on Qatari aid for civil servant salaries.

Despite ongoing provocations by Hamas, including military posts near the border fence, an Egyptian intelligence general praised the Israeli military’s restrained fire policy. Israel’s approval of the increased Gaza worker quota coincided with the fuel payment mechanism’s approval and Qatari pressure.

A spokesperson for Bennett stated that he stopped unchecked cash transfers to Gaza, redirected two-thirds of funds to food vouchers for civilians, and converted one-third into fuel. They emphasized Bennett’s policy differed from Netanyahu’s by allowing worker entry only when security conditions permitted and maintaining a firm stance against Hamas threats, citing Bennett’s insistence on holding the 2022 Flag March on its original route despite Hamas threats. The spokesperson also refuted claims of leniency during border unrest, highlighting Bennett’s zero-tolerance policy on incendiary balloons, rockets, and fence breaches, and crediting him with the quietest year in Gaza’s border area in two decades.