“A wolf in sheep’s clothing: While Qatar strengthens economic ties with the U.S., its policy of supporting Hamas has advanced moves that could have led to the creation of an Islamic Middle East, resembling the Islamic State of ISIS, hostile to the U.S. and the West.“ — Lt. Col. (ret.) Jonathan D. Halevi
Summary
Qatar maintains a deep, multi-channel partnership with Hamas while publicly presenting itself as a U.S.-aligned mediator. Doha’s stance of not designating Hamas as a terrorist group, combined with extensive financial aid to Gaza, discreet cash transfers, and a supportive media environment, strengthened Hamas’s governance capacity and access to hard currency—indirectly bolstering its military wing prior to and after the October 7, 2023 attack.
Senior Hamas figures cultivated direct relationships with Qatar’s leadership, seeking to keep aid under Qatari control rather than through Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, or the UN. Hamas’s broader strategic objective—“the Promise of the Hereafter”— was a coordinated, region-wide confrontation aimed at eliminating Israel and destabilizing pro-Western Arab regimes in tandem with Iran and allied groups.
At the same time, U.S.–Qatar relations are thriving in 2025, featuring massive trade and defense deals and public praise for Qatar’s mediation and counterterrorism role. This juxtaposition underscores a gap between Doha’s outward diplomacy and activities that, in practice, advanced Hamas’s political and military aims.
The Israeli strike on a Hamas leadership gathering in Qatar’s capital, Doha, has drawn international attention to the close ties between Qatar and Hamas, and the threat Qatar poses to American interests in the Middle East.
Qatar presents itself as a U.S. ally in the fight against terrorism, distancing itself from Hamas by claiming it hosts the group’s office at the U.S.’s request to maintain open communication for promoting peace in the region.
Qatar’s policy toward the U.S. is based on strategic deception. The country does not classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, and its relationship with Hamas goes beyond simple communication. Qatar has demonstrated full political support for Hamas, providing substantial aid to the Gaza Strip – nearly $2 billion, some of which was in cash. This aid has been administered by Hamas and has contributed to strengthening its military wing in preparation for the October 7 attack.
Hamas leadership viewed Qatar as a close and preferred ally over Egypt, thanks to Qatar’s mobilization of its institutions to advance Palestinian goals.
Qatar’s financial support continued even as Hamas leadership publicly reiterated its coordination with the Shiite axis – Iran and its proxies in the Middle East – for the “Promise of the Hereafter Battle” aimed at destroying the State of Israel and reshaping the Middle East.
Hamas’s plan, discussed in closed rooms and publicly echoed on Qatar’s Al-Jazeerachannel, included overthrowing pro-Western regimes in the Middle East and establishing the “Great Islamic Revolution,” meaning a caliphate – an Islamic state – on the ruins of Israel and Arab regimes.
The Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza operated an office in the Gaza Strip, whose leaders frequently met with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior Hamas figures. Beyond Qatari media reports, they had direct access to information about Hamas’s goals and plans in the Middle East as part of the “Promise of the Hereafter Battle.”
While Qatar strengthens economic ties with the U.S., its policy of supporting Hamas, including after the October 7 attack, has advanced moves that could have led to the creation of an Islamic Middle East, resembling the Islamic State of ISIS, hostile to the U.S. and the West.
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This analysis, first published by The Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Policy on September 11, 2025, was posted with permission. Please take a look at the complete analysis HERE.