Netanyahu defends Qatar strike and Gaza fund transfers
The Israeli prime minister says Qatari funds transferred to Gaza were humanitarian aid recommended by Mossad and Shin Bet, while describing Qatar as hostile.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended Israel’s strike on Doha and the transfer of Qatari funds to Gaza, presenting both as part of Israel’s wartime security policy.
In an interview with i24NEWS shared on social media, Netanyahu described Qatar as a “hostile” state and said Israel had attacked and bombed it during the Gaza war. His comments came ahead of the anniversary of the 9 September 2025 strike on Doha.
The strike reportedly killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer during a meeting about a United States-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal. Qatar condemned the attack, while United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described it as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump later apologised to Qatar’s prime minister.
Netanyahu also defended Israel-facilitated transfers of millions of dollars from Qatar to Gaza, saying the money was intended for humanitarian aid and had been recommended by Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet security agencies. He said the transfers represented about 2 per cent of all money entering Gaza.
The claims about the funds and their oversight have not been independently verified in the supplied material. Allegations that Qatari money helped Hamas prepare the 7 October 2023 attack remain disputed, and Qatar denies that it funds Hamas.
Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political office since 2012 and has acted as a regional mediator. Netanyahu is facing domestic pressure ahead of Israel’s legislative elections next month.
