Doha: Qatar on Wednesday disputed what it said were “false accusations” by Israel’s domestic security service connecting finances from the Gulf state to a boost in Hamas’s military strength before its unprecedented October 7 2023 strike.
“False accusations made by the Shin Bet security agency linking Qatari aid to the October 7 attack are yet another example of deflection driven by self-interest and self-preservation in Israeli politics,” Qatar’s International Media Office said in a statement, AFP reported.
On Tuesday, the security agency presented the conclusions of an internal investigation, admitting its own failures in stopping Gaza's over-border onslaught on southern Israel, which began 15 months of conflict in the Palestinian territory.
The Shin Bet report also said “the influx of Qatari funds and their transfer to the military wing” was one of the “main reasons for the strengthening of Hamas that allowed it to launch the attack,” according to its executive summary.
“It is well known within Israel and internationally that all aid sent from Qatar to Gaza was transferred with the full knowledge, support, and supervision of the current and previous Israeli administrations and their security agencies — including the Shin Bet,” the Qatari statement said.
“No aid has ever been delivered to Hamas’s political or military wing,” it added.
Qatar has hosted Hamas' political office since 2012, with the agreement of the US, but this has fuelled suspicions that Qatar supports Palestinian militants, which Doha has consistently rejected. The gas-rich Gulf state, together with the US and Egypt, played an important role in achieving a fragile cease-fire in Gaza. Since the deal's first phase expired over the weekend, following six weeks of relative peace that included the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees, the parties have reached an impasse over the truce's continuation.
“At this critical juncture, the Shin Bet and other Israeli security agencies should focus on saving the remaining hostages and finding a solution that ensures long-term regional security, rather than resorting to diversionary tactics,” the Qatari statement said.
“Claims that Qatari aid went to Hamas are entirely false and serve as evidence that the accusers are intent on prolonging the war,” it added.