The documents seized in Gaza during the conflict against Hamas and broadcast on Sunday evening by an Israeli television broadcaster throw new light on the close collaboration between Qatar and the terrorist group.
The documents seized in Gaza during the conflict against Hamas and broadcast on Sunday evening by an Israeli television broadcaster throw new light on the close collaboration between the Qatar and the terrorist group. A link that would have consolidated over time, also including numerous attempts to hinder peace initiatives promoted by States uniti in the region, marginalize the Egyptian role on Gaza and strengthen the influence of Türkiye and irandy. These revelations seem to deny the recent definition of the Qatar given by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuwho had described him as a “complicated state, but not an enemy state”, and had tried to resize the impact of the millionaire funds that Doha has paid monthly for years to Hamas in the strip for years. Last month, the same Netanyahu He had said that these funds would not have played a decisive role in the ability of the terrorist group to plan and implement the war still in progress against Israel, a war that broke out with the brutal assault of the 7 October 2023 in the south of the country.
According to reports from Channel 12, The documents would show that the transfers of money, which took place with the consent of Israel, were so relevant that in December 2019 the then political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, He declared to the Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Hamad at Thanithat the funds from the Gulf represented “the main artery of Hamas”. In May 2021, immediately after a war of eleven days between Israel and Hamas, Haniyeh communicated to the head of the armed group in Gaza, Yahya Sinwarthat the Emir of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hamad at Thanihe had agreed to guarantee “discreet financial support for the group’s efforts”. “In principle, he agreed to provide resistance in a discreet way, but he does not want anyone in the world to know it. So far, Emir has collected 11 million dollars for the guidance of the movement, “he would have written Haniyeh. In another step, Hamas’ political leader asked a Sinwar to “write a letter in which he will focus on the military campaign, on his urgent needs and dedicate the victory (in the war) to His height».
As he writes Times of Israel, In addition to the funds from Doha, we read that Qatarina intelligence officials would meet a representative of Hamas to discuss the supervision of special training units in the military fields in Qatar and Turkey, as well as the integration in the battalions of Hamas in Lebanon of Syrian Palestinians who took refuge in that country during the civil war in Syria. The meeting would be documented in a classified relationship of the Palestinian National Authority.
The role of Qatar in supporting Hamas – officially through monthly aid intended for the purchase of fuel to alleviate the economic crisis in the strip – has become central to the Israeli debate, aggravated by a criminal investigation on alleged illicit relationships between members of the premier Netanyahu and Doha premier. Is Ismail Haniyeh That Yahya Sinwar as well as his brother Mohammedthey were killed during the war: the first during a trip to Iran, the second from the forces of the Idf in the southern part of the Striscia, while the third died last May 13 in a bombing that had as a goal an underground structure discovered under the European hospital of Khan Yunis where they were also killed Muhammad Shabanacommander of the Rafah Brigade belonging to the terrorist group, e Mahdi Quarahead of the battalion Khan Youunis South.
“The agreement of the century”
Many of the documents reported by Channel 12 refer to the response of Hamas and Qatar to the so-called “agreement of the century” promoted in 2020 by the American president Donald Trump as a definitive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The plan, based on a two -states solution, offered about 70% of the West Bank to the Palestinians (excluding Israeli settlements), part of the Negev desert and an important economic package. The Palestinian authority He refused it, and the project was set aside. In June 2019, well before the normalization agreements (the Patti di Abraham) between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrein, the Emir Qatari To Thani he confided to the leaders of Hamas that theOman showed opening towards relations with Israel. “As for Palestine, Oman is on one side and we on the other,” he would have declared. During an emergency meeting, Khaled Mashaal Hamas leader said to Emir: “We have to work together to oppose the agreement of the century and eliminate it.” Six months later, a delegation from Hamas went to Iran for the general’s funeral Qassem Soleimaniwhere Haniyeh would have thanked the Qatarios for making a flight available. According to the Israeli channel, an internal relationship to Hamas concluded that a normalization between Qatar And Israel He would have marked “the end of the Palestinian national project”.
Strengthen qatar, isolate Egypt
In another document, already in part anticipated by Channel 12Sinwar wrote to Haniyeh That Hamas should have put pressure so that Qatar took on a central role in mediation with Israel, preferring it to Egypt, considered less reliable. “We can make our contribution and open them great doors, as happened with the escalation of the incendiary balloons in August 2020,” he wrote, referring to a campaign of launch of incendiary devices towards Israel that caused fires and raids of retaliation. «The Egyptians tried to contain the escalation, but we forced them to withdraw empty hands. In their place the Qatarios arrived, to whom we granted the stage of diplomacy “, added Sinwar, which would then plan the attack of October 7, 2023. The conflict triggered by that attack, in which about 5,000 men armed with Hamas invaded the south of Israel causing 1,200 deaths and taking 251 hostages, and the Qatar That Egypt They carried out key roles in the negotiations for a ceased fire. Two collaborators of the Prime Minister Netanyahu They are now investigated for alleged payments received by Doha in order to promote, through the media, a positive image of Qatar as a mediator. One of the judges involved in the so -called “Qatargate“Said Doha would also push the premier’s former spokesperson, Eli Feldstein, to spread negative messages on the role of Egypt in negotiations. Qatar rejected any accusation of having tried to marginalize Cairo.
Before October 7th 2023
In May 2022, seventeen months before the attack, while the efforts of the USA To encourage normalization between Israel and the Arab world, Sinwar wrote to Haniyeh claiming that Turkey – while maintaining relationships with Israel – had to be involved in efforts Anti-Israelis. “It’s up to you to start preparing the campaign,” he wrote to the political leader of Hamas. «We must start immediately with our allies: Iran, Qatar and Türkiye. Qatari and Turkish diplomacy must play a guide role. Our task is to suffocate employment and ensure that international actors break all bonds with it ». During a visit to Hamas in Iran, in an episode not dated with precision, a high Iranian official declared: “We are happy with the Turkish-Qotariata support against you”. Expert months before the assault of 7 October, Sinwar spoke with Haniyeh of the opposition of Iran to normalization, in particular with respect to the possible adhesion of Saudi Arabia to Abraham’s agreements. At the time, Tehran He had just reached an agreement with Riyadh, mediated by China, to restore diplomatic relationships. Sinwar, in a document, would have reported that Iran was against each opening to countries of the Saudi orbit. “They don’t want to calm or agree,” he would have said. “They don’t want to approach their rivals or enemies, those countries that intend to normalize relations with America and the Zionist enemy. But they are in favor that we tie ourselves to Qatar and to the Türkiye». One day this war will end. And when it happens, the role of the Qatar must also be the subject of a serious examination. Because it is not enough to dress as mediators to clean up consciousness.
