Haaretz reports secret Israeli-linked campaign targeting Qatar
A reported civilian campaign sought international pressure on Doha over its relationship with Hamas before being abruptly halted after about a month.
An Israeli group involving influence experts, political advisers and a former Mossad official reportedly organised a secret campaign against Qatar in the weeks after the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, according to Haaretz, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The campaign reportedly aimed to generate international pressure on Doha over its relationship with Hamas, with organisers believing this could encourage Qatar to help secure the release of captives taken to Gaza. About 30 people were reportedly recruited, including psychological-warfare specialists.
The group established a WhatsApp channel called “Free the Kidnapped”, a multilingual website and social-media accounts. Participants reportedly raised donations, produced videos, contacted journalists and arranged media appearances. Its messaging included the phrase “Hamas is ISIS” and questions about how alleged Qatari financial support for Hamas could be highlighted.
Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political office since 2012 and has acted as a mediator between Hamas and Israel. Doha denies funding Hamas, saying its Gaza aid transfers were transparent, facilitated by Israel and known to the United States.
Haaretz described the operation as a civilian initiative, but Marc Owen Jones, an academic quoted by Al Jazeera, questioned whether such a campaign could have operated without Israeli state motivation. The supplied reporting does not establish the group’s precise links to Israeli agencies or officials, and the identities of those who initiated it were reportedly barred from publication.
The campaign was reportedly halted abruptly about a month after it began. Its scale, funding and effect have not been independently verified in the supplied material.
