Israeli Documents Reveal Approval of Qatar Fuel Scheme to Fund Hamas Salaries

Security documents from late 2021 reveal how, after halting cash transfers, Israel approved an alternative mechanism for Qatar to fund Hamas in Gaza through fuel purchases from Egypt. The leaked documents, disclosed by Channel 13 News, detail negotiations in 2021 to establish this new system following the cessation of cash suitcase deliveries by the Bennett-Lapid government. Under the new arrangement, Qatar would buy $10 million worth of fuel from Egypt, which would then be transferred directly to a Hamas-affiliated company without oversight, allowing Hamas to generate revenue to pay salaries.

The financial support from Qatar to Hamas began in 2018 during Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure and continued through various frameworks under the Bennett-Lapid government and after Netanyahu's return to power in late 2022. When Naftali Bennett became prime minister in July 2021, he pledged to stop the cash suitcase transfers from Qatar to Hamas, which ceased about three months later. Subsequently, a new mechanism was developed involving Qatar's envoy Muhammad al-Amadi, nicknamed "the jeweler" in Israeli security documents, who acted as a liaison between Egypt, Hamas, and Israel.

On October 17, 2021, al-Amadi informed Israel of the alternative payment method for Hamas officials' salaries. He also requested Israel to increase the monthly number of Gaza workers allowed into Israel to 30,000. Al-Amadi met with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and later with the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Rasan Alian. Israeli security assessments following these meetings described the fuel purchase mechanism as a positive and agreed-upon substitute for direct salary grants to Hamas employees.

On October 19, 2021, the Israeli government officially approved advancing the fuel-based funding mechanism. Additional documents cited in the report expressed satisfaction with the current civilian policy and the emerging solution. The documents highlight ongoing dialogue among Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas regarding this financial transfer system.