Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political office since 2012, with the blessing of the United States, but also fuelling accusations that it supports the Palestinian militants, which Doha has always denied.
The gas-rich Gulf state played a key role in securing a fragile truce in Gaza, mediating between Hamas and Israel alongside the United States and Egypt.
Since the deal’s first phase ended at the weekend, after six weeks of relative calm that included exchanges of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, the parties have hit an impasse over the truce’s continuation.
“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,” the Qatari statement said.
“Claims that Qatari aid went to Hamas are entirely false and serve as evidence that the accusers are intent on prolonging the war,” it added.
Hamas’s Oct 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, most of them civilians, while Israel’s military retaliation in Gaza has killed at least 48,405 people, also mostly civilians, data from both sides show.
