Today in Washington, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability
@GOPoversight
issued a press release that inaccurately claims Qatar has paid Hamas “$30 million per month since 2018.”Qatar does not pay Hamas. In full coordination with the Government of Israel, Qatar has contributed humanitarian assistance in Gaza since 2018. This assistance takes two forms:1. Since 2018, Qatar funded fuel purchases from Israel to supply a Gaza power station to generate electricity in Gaza, under the supervision of the United Nations Office of Project Services. The Israeli Government controlled all fuel transfers at the Gaza border.2. Since August 2021, Qatar funded a project administered by the World Food Programme to provide $100 per month to the poorest families in Gaza. The Israeli Government maintained oversight over the list of recipients.Notably, Qatar did not administer the distribution of this assistance, which was the responsibility of the United Nations and the World Food Programme, under the supervision of the State of Israel.Israel encouraged and strongly supported Qatar’s contributions. In August 2021, Israeli Defence Minister Gantz was quoted by AP on this topic: “I have been in contact with Qatari officials to establish a mechanism that ensures the money reaches those in need, while maintaining Israel’s security needs.” In a March 22, 2024 article, The Times of Israel documented the Israeli Government’s sustained support and appreciation for Qatar’s humanitarian financial assistance for Gaza.
https://timesofisrael.com/documents-show-israel-sought-valued-qatari-aid-for-gaza-in-years-leading-to-oct-7/The United States also supported Qatar’s humanitarian contributions. In 2018, President Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt, endorsed the Israel-Qatar agreement to channel aid to Gaza. He said, “Qatar partnering with Israel can bring real relief to the people of Gaza.”Qatar’s humanitarian and mediation roles in Gaza are not new, and they go hand-in-hand to protect the civilian population. Qatar mediated previous ceasefires in Gaza, including in 2021 after a bloody eruption of violence.Since October 7, Qatar – along with the United States, Egypt, Israel and others -- has been actively engaged in mediation to secure release of the hostages and a durable ceasefire agreement in Gaza. There has been some progress, with over 100 hostages released to date. There is more work to be done, and urgently. Misinformation about Qatar and its humanitarian contributions is unhelpful to these delicate negotiations.