# Israel Qatari Payments to Gaza > Israel's secret role in Qatar's Gaza aid program revealed in leaked documents. - Title: Israel Qatari Payments to Gaza · TIME | Shortify - Summary: Israel's secret role in Qatar's Gaza aid program revealed in leaked documents. Netanyahu's government facilitated Qatari payments to Gaza for over a decade… - Keywords: netanyahu, qatar, gaza, hamas, israel, qatari payments, gaza strip, mossad, united nations, fatah, Qatari, Payments - Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/10/18/exclusive-israel-qatar-payments-to-gaza - Author: Eric Cortellessa - Published: 2026-10-18T04:01:09+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: netanyahu, qatar, gaza, hamas, israel, qatari payments, gaza strip, mossad, united nations, fatah ## Netanyahu defends Gaza payments As Israeli voters prepare for elections on Oct. 27, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to defend and distance himself from one of his government’s most controversial policies: allowing Qatar to funnel nearly $2 billion… ## Leaked documents reveal role Previously undisclosed documents obtained by TIME, including letters from senior Israeli security officials to Qatari leaders, reveal that Israel encouraged and played a direct role in a payment program that was more extensive than Netanyahu… ## Qatari payments began in 2012 Beginning in 2:012, Netanyahu’s government helped to facilitate Qatari payments to Gaza that had begun after Hamas seized control in 2007. ## Qatar sent $1.1 billion by 2018 By 2018, Qatar had sent roughly $1.1 billion into the Strip, according to an analysis provided to Israeli ministers, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported. ## Mossad director's gratitude letter In a 2020 letter from Yossi Cohen, then director of the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, to Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Cohen wrote that the aid had improved the humanitarian situation in Gaza. ## Israel's role in aid mechanism Under the system, Israel vetted recipients and oversaw distribution, with funds transferred through the World Food Programme and eligible families notified by text message. ## Qatar's aid mechanism Qatar paid for fuel and electricity purchased from Israel to increase the number of hours Gaza received power, a structure coordinated with Israeli security services. ## Qatar's $40 million program In August 2021, Qatar signed another agreement committing $40 million to a cash assistance program that would give nearly 100,000 Palestinian households $100 per month for four months. ## Netanyahu's policy failure One former Israeli defense official called the policy a 'failure on our part born of good intentions that multiple prime ministers kept going,' but Netanyahu was at the center of it. ## Qatar's role in negotiations After October 7, Qatar emerged as the go-between in negotiations among Israel, Hamas and Washington, where Biden Administration officials privately praised the Qataris as honest brokers. ## Qatargate scandal Netanyahu has been under intense scrutiny over the so-called Qatargate scandal, in which former and current aides allegedly received payments to conduct a public relations campaign to cast Qatar in a favorable light for over… ## Hamas' control over aid Hamas could restrict the system to exert pressure internally, while Netanyahu could restrict it to pressure Hamas, according to officials. ## October 7 attack The brutal Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel ended the Qatari aid arrangement that successive Israeli governments had spent years helping to build, modify, and preserve. ## Netanyahu's denial In a 2024 interview, Netanyahu denied making remarks allegedly supporting Hamas, insisting the payments were meant to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. ## Qatar's new model Trump Administration officials are working with Qatar and other Arab governments on a framework to restore basic services while eliminating Gaza’s dependence on Islamist armed factions. ## The question remains The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it, and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last. ## Key takeaway Netanyahu's government facilitated Qatari payments to Gaza for over a decade, enabling Hamas to maintain power until October 7 attacks.