Qatar rejects Israel’s Hamas aid claims, says allegations serve political ends in Israel

Qatar’s International Media Office rejects Israeli media claims that its Gaza aid reached Hamas, calling the reports “categorically false.”Qatar’s International Media Office (IMO) has rejected reports circulating in Israeli media alleging that humanitarian aid sent by the Gulf state to Gaza was diverted to Hamas, calling the claims “categorically false” in a statement issued on Friday.The IMO said the reports are being promoted by “elements of Israel’s far right and political figures in an attempt to deflect attention from domestic political failures and portray Qatar as a convenient scapegoat”.“Qatar has never provided money to Hamas,” the statement said, adding that all assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza was directed “through mechanisms coordinated with the Israeli authorities and international partners”.It said that under previous aid mechanisms, all financial assistance and goods, including food, medicine and fuel, passed through Israel before entering Gaza, with delivery carried out by United Nations organisations in coordination with Israeli authorities. “Nothing was delivered directly by Qatar,” it said.The IMO noted that Qatar’s aid “has previously received public support from Israeli leaders” and was provided “over many years under successive Israeli governments, with the involvement of Israel’s security agencies,” adding that any funding that may have reached Hamas outside these mechanisms “had nothing to do with Qatar”.The statement said Qatar has “for several years” been “the target of a sustained campaign involving pro-Israel media, lobbyists, lawyers, think tanks and so-called research organisations,” and that this campaign is intensifying as Israeli elections approach.“Qatar has no interest in becoming involved in Israel’s domestic politics, but we will not remain silent while false claims about our country are used for political purposes,” it said.The IMO said the allegations would not affect Qatar’s support for Palestinians or its role in mediation efforts, adding that Doha “remains committed to mediation and diplomacy as the path towards ending conflict and achieving lasting peace and security in the region”.Friday’s statement follows a familiar pattern. Qatar has repeatedly rejected similar allegations tying its Gaza aid to Hamas, including a June 2025 statement calling documents aired by Israel’s Channel 12 “fake”.Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political office in Doha since 2012, with U.S. backing, and has played a central mediating role between Hamas and Israel throughout the war.