‘Like an amateur blog’: Qatar rejects The New Yorker allegations, weighs legal action

The International Media Office said the magazine ran forged documents tied to an Israeli far-right smear campaign aimed at derailing regional peace mediation.Qatar is reviewing legal options against The New Yorker after the American magazine published a report accusing Doha of sending funds to Hamas, an allegation Qatari officials condemned as completely fabricated.In a statement released on Monday, Qatar’s International Media Office (IMO) rejected the claims “in the strongest possible terms,” describing the piece as reading “more like an amateur blog than a report from a reputable publication.”The office stated that The New Yorker was provided with clear evidence prior to publication proving that its source material – including the so-called “Blast documents” – was forged. It noted that other international news organisations had previously declined to publish the same files after being shown proof of their fabrication.The IMO attributed the leak to a broader disinformation campaign orchestrated by elements of Israel’s far-right to damage Qatar’s standing and derail its diplomatic efforts.“The actors behind this campaign do not want peace. Their political survival depends on chaos and division in the region, and Qatar’s role as a mediator threatens that,” the statement read.Addressing the allegations directly, the IMO reaffirmed that all Qatari assistance to the Gaza Strip was designated strictly for Palestinian civilians and delivered with the direct coordination and oversight of Israeli authorities and international partners.Under these long-standing mechanisms, all financial aid, fuel, food, and medical supplies entered Gaza through Israeli-controlled crossings and were monitored at every stage by successive Israeli governments, including administrations led by Benjamin Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid, alongside Israeli security agencies Mossad and Shin Bet.“If any funding reached Hamas, it had nothing to do with Qatar. In fact, responsibility would fall on Israel who oversaw the delivery,” the office added.Calling on media organisations to resist sensationalism and verify complex geopolitical claims, the IMO confirmed that the state is actively reviewing all legal options to counter the spread of the report and prevent the public from being misled.