Close ties between Qatar, Hamas revealed in documents seized in Gaza
Additional intelligence points to direct meetings between Hamas operatives and Qatari intelligence officials to discuss specialized military training in Qatar and Turkey
Documents obtained by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during operations in Gaza have revealed extensive cooperation between the Qatari government and Hamas, including secret financial support and coordinated efforts to obstruct U.S.-led peace initiatives.
The documents, first reported by Israel’s N12 channel, detail how Qatari funding served as a lifeline for the Hamas movement.
In one 2019 communication, Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh described Qatari funds as the group’s "main artery," with financial transfers totaling millions of dollars each month—approved by Israel as part of temporary de-escalation understandings.
The material also sheds light on efforts by Qatar and Hamas to undermine Egyptian influence in Gaza and bolster the roles of Turkey and Iran in the region.
Recommended -
In one letter, Haniyeh informed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar that the Emir of Qatar had agreed to covertly fund the group’s armed resistance efforts. “So far, $11 million has been raised by the emir for the leadership,” the document states.
Additional intelligence points to direct meetings between Hamas operatives and Qatari intelligence officials to discuss specialized military training in Qatar and Turkey.
The documents further reveal that Qatar and Hamas coordinated efforts to counter then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 “Deal of the Century.” In a message to the Qatari emir, senior Hamas official Khaled Mashaal wrote: “We must work together to oppose and eliminate the Deal of the Century.”
Sinwar also promoted Qatar’s mediation role over Egypt’s, claiming Doha was more committed to Hamas’s objectives. Referring to the 2020 wave of incendiary balloon attacks from Gaza, Sinwar noted: “We can help and open wide doors for them.”