Full Breakdown
Allegations of Qatari Funding to Hamas’s Military Wing and Netanyahu’s Response
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Findings
An investigation by *Yedioth Ahronoth* journalists Ronen Bergman and Yuval Rubovitch, based on classified Israeli intelligence documents and senior-official testimony, asserts that money from Qatar was diverted to Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The reports claim the diverted funds accounted for roughly 40 %–50 % of the brigade’s annual budget of $70 million-$100 million, with monthly transfers of about $4 million between 2019 and 2021. A covert channel, codenamed “Panther’s Eye,” is estimated to have moved between $100 million and several hundred million dollars directly to the military wing.
Background & Context
Since 2018, Qatar has provided “dozens of millions of dollars” in cash to Gaza each month, promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as humanitarian aid. Israeli security agencies—including Military Intelligence and the Shin Bet—issued warnings that portions of the Qatari cash were being siphoned to Hamas’s military operations. Egypt also warned Israel in 2018 that funds from Qatar, Turkey and Iran were reaching Hamas rather than civilians.
Data & Statistics
- Estimated diversion to Hamas’s military wing: $4 million per month (2019-2021).
- Annual budget of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades: $70 million-$100 million.
- Share of budget attributed to Qatari funds: 40 %–50 %.
- Covert “Panther’s Eye” channel: $100 million-several hundred million (range not precisely calculated).
Official Statements & Responses
The office asserted that when the May 2021 conflict (Operation Guardian of the Walls) erupted, Netanyahu ordered the Qatari cash-payment mechanism to be halted, a decision later reversed by the subsequent Bennett-Lapid government.
Criticism & Opposition
Opposition figures seized on the investigation to accuse Netanyahu of negligence. Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot called the revelations a “failure” that showed Netanyahu abandoned Israel’s security before the Oct 7 incident. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett said Netanyahu must be held accountable for approving “suitcases of dollars” that funded the massacre. Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman warned that allowing Qatari cash into Gaza would lead to disaster. Democrats chairman Yair Golan argued the materials would lead any state commission of inquiry to conclude that Netanyahu served as Hamas’s financier despite knowing the security risks.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Israeli security assessments claim substantial portions of Qatari aid were diverted to Hamas’s military wing.
- Qatar’s official position denies any direct funding of Hamas, attributing any diversion to Israeli oversight.
- Netanyahu’s office contends the Qatari grant was purely humanitarian and that the security establishment endorsed it, while also stating the grant was halted during the 2021 conflict.
- The precise amount transferred through “Panther’s Eye” remains unverified, with estimates ranging widely.
Timeline
- 2018 – Egypt warns Israel that Qatari, Turkish and Iranian funds may be reaching Hamas’s military wing.
- 2019 – Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman informs Netanyahu that Qatari money is flowing to Hamas’s armed wing.
- 2020 – Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate repeats the warning to the prime minister.
- 2019-2021 – Documented diversion of approximately $4 million per month from Qatari cash to the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
- May 2021 – During Operation Guardian of the Walls, Netanyahu orders the Qatari grant halted; the subsequent government restores it.
- September 15 2025 – Netanyahu announces intent to file a libel lawsuit over unrelated allegations concerning a UAE warning.
- September 17 2026 – Netanyahu appears at a Likud rally ahead of the October 27 elections.
- September 21 2026 – Qatar’s International Media Office categorically rejects the New Yorker report’s allegations as fabricated.