Documents reveal: Netanyahu’s government asked Qatar to continue transferring money to Gaza

Tel Aviv - Ofoq News - Documents and correspondence published by the American “Time” magazine revealed that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Qatar to continue transferring money to the Gaza Strip, despite Israeli public criticism of Qatari financing, according to an investigation published by the magazine on October 18, 2026.

According to the investigation, the documents include a letter dating back to 2020 that former Israeli Mossad chief Yossi Cohen addressed to Doha, in which he praised Qatari aid, considering that it “contributed to stability and security in the region.”

The magazine explained that the documents reveal a discrepancy between the declared Israeli positions and the movements that took place behind the scenes, as Israeli officials worked to maintain the flow of Qatari funds to the Strip, within the framework of a policy aimed at alleviating the humanitarian crisis and maintaining security calm.

The investigation also referred to another document in which an official in the Israeli National Security Council requested that funds be transferred through the Qatari envoy, instead of passing them through intermediaries or other countries, which, according to the report, reflects the existence of Israeli coordination regarding the mechanism for delivering funding to Gaza.

Over the years, Qatari aid has included supporting poor families, providing fuel, and contributing to covering electricity needs and humanitarian projects. Israel had allowed this aid to enter as part of arrangements aimed at alleviating economic pressures in the Gaza Strip and maintaining stability.

The disclosure of the documents revived the controversy over Netanyahu's policy towards Hamas before the attack of October 7, 2023, as critics accuse the Israeli government of following an approach that contributed to keeping the movement in power and strengthening the Palestinian division between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The publication of these documents comes at a time of renewed questions within Israel regarding the responsibility of the Netanyahu government for the policies that preceded the October 7 attack, and the repercussions of betting on economic and security arrangements in dealing with the Gaza Strip.