Qatar slams Shin Bet for suggesting aid from Doha contributed to Oct. 7

Qatar slams Israel’s Shin Bet security agency for suggesting that aid from Doha to Gaza was partly responsible for the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

In the Shin Bet’s report on its role in failing to prevent the onslaught released yesterday, the agency noted the flow of money from Qatar to Gaza and its delivery to Hamas’s military wing as one of the reasons Hamas was able to build up its forces.

“False accusations made by the Shin Bet security agency linking Qatari aid to the October 7 attack are yet another example of deflection driven by self-interest and self-preservation in Israeli politics,” says a statement from Qatar’s International Media Office.

“It is well known within Israel and internationally that all aid sent from Qatar to Gaza was transferred with the full knowledge, support, and supervision of the current and previous Israeli administrations and their security agencies – including the Shin Bet,” the statement says. “No aid has ever been delivered to Hamas’s political or military wing.”

“At this critical juncture, the Shin Bet and other Israeli security agencies should focus on saving the remaining hostages and finding a solution that ensures long-term regional security, rather than resorting to diversionary tactics such as scapegoating Qatar for political longevity. Claims that Qatari aid went to Hamas are entirely false and serve as evidence that the accusers are intent on prolonging the war,” Qatar says, adding that it “will continue to mediate towards peace because of its belief in diplomacy as the only way forward to a better future for both Palestinians and Israelis.”