Military Intelligence and Shin Bet warned: Huge sums flow from Qatar to Hamas's military wing. Netanyahu ignored
An investigation reveals that Prime Minister Netanyahu received intelligence warnings starting in 2019 that funds from Qatar, which he initiated and encouraged, were being diverted to Hamas's military buildup, but he ignored them. Documents and testimonies reveal that intelligence estimated 40%-50% of the military wing's budget came from Qatar, and there was an additional secret funding channel. Netanyahu denies knowledge of the diversions and presents a different version.
An investigation by ynet reveals that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received repeated intelligence warnings starting in 2019, just months after the flow of funds from Qatar to the Gaza Strip began, that the funds were also being directed to the military buildup of Hamas's military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam. According to internal intelligence community documents and senior testimonies, intelligence estimated that 40% to 50% of the entire military wing's budget came from Qatari funding. It was also revealed that there was an additional secret funding channel from Qatar, codenamed "Eye of the Panther," about which Netanyahu was also warned. Egypt also passed along a similar warning. Despite the warnings, Netanyahu did not stop the fund transfers and millions continued to flow. The investigation describes how Netanyahu, in a 55-page document compiled by his office, half-admits to fund diversions but claims they were marginal, using the word "directly" to deny that the money went to terrorism. The investigation presents a picture completely different from Netanyahu's version, according to which the Qatari money was negligible and did not constitute a significant factor in the October 7 attack.