Doha is attempting to publicly distance itself from Hamas, denying that it knowingly funded the group, as attacks on its oil infrastructure have pushed Qatar to pursue financial relationships with Western groups that are less willing to engage with a country associated with the Palestinian terrorist organization, Dr. Ariel Admoni, a researcher of Qatari policy at Ariel University and the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Admoni spoke with the Post after Qatar’s International Media Office issued multiple statements rejecting accusations that Doha had directly funded Hamas. The office claimed that the allegations originated from a “sustained campaign involving pro-Israel media, lobbyists, lawyers, think tanks and so-called research organizations.”
The office further argued that any Qatari funds that reached Hamas did so as a result of Israeli failures, while maintaining that Qatar had coordinated with international partners to ensure humanitarian aid reached Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Admoni said the statements represented a noticeable change in tone for a country that hosts Hamas’s leadership, whose state-funded media reportedly operates under a directive to portray Hamas sympathetically and which has allegedly spent years financing the terrorist group, according to Hamas’s own documentation.
According to Hamas documents seized by Israel and obtained by The New Yorker, Hamas officials directly thanked Qatari leaders for financial support, describing Qatari grants as “the main artery of the Hamas movement.” Qatar has rejected the documents as “falsified and fabricated information.”
Doha had also rejected accusations that it supported Hamas financially in the past, notably denying US House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer’s 2024 claim that Qatar had paid Hamas $30 million per month since 2018.
Though Qatar has long denied the allegations, Admoni noted that the seriousness of its response, including threats of legal action and countering with allegations that Israel’s far right is using Doha to “deflect attention from domestic political failure,” was a sign that Qatar wanted to “rebrand itself.”
Admoni: Qatar relying on American financial systems
“This is a delicate time for Qatar because right now they rely on American financial systems,” he explained, highlighting recent meetings Qatar has held with potential investors.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheihk Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met with Alphabet and Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat and Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates on Monday, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Doha’s Foreign Ministry confirmed.
It was also announced on Monday that the Qatar Investment Authority and J.P. Morgan Asset Management agreed to a $20 billion strategic partnership spanning public equities and private credit, expanding the fund’s investment ties with the US.
With Qatar’s energy-based economy still suffering from Iranian attacks, “they need the American financial system by their side,” Admoni said, adding that Doha was particularly aware of the “importance of narrative” and image when engaging with American industry giants.
Iran’s attacks knocked out 17% of Qatari LNG in March alone
The hydrocarbon sector contributed around 60% of Qatar’s GDP in 2024, making it a significant resource for the Qatari economy, and Iran’s attacks in March alone knocked out 17% of Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, causing an estimated $20 billion in lost annual revenue, according to statements made by QatarEnergy's CEO and Energy Affairs Minister Saad al-Kaabi to Reuters.
Though Admoni said that Qatar’s “vulnerability is showing” as a result of the war, and “Qatari money seems less persuasive than before,” he maintained that he had not witnessed a drastic change in attitude from the West, which still seems willing to accept Qatar’s "peace-maker" image. Still, he insisted that the excuse Qatar has so far used to maintain ties with Hamas would continue to be threatened as international media probes deeper into the “terror kingpin” funding the Islamist groups.