Doha rejects Israeli probe linking Qatari aid to Hamas attack

Qatar on Wednesday rebuffed what it said were "false accusations" by Israel's domestic security agency attributing funds from the Gulf state to an increase in Hamas' military strength before its 7 October 2023 attack.

"False accusations made by the Shin Bet security agency linking Qatari aid to the October 7 attack are yet another example of deflection driven by self-interest and self-preservation in Israeli politics," Qatar's International Media Office said in a statement.

The security agency published findings from an internal probe on Tuesday acknowledging its own failings in preventing the attack from Gaza on southern Israel which sparked 15 months of war in the Palestinian territory. 

The Shin Bet report also said "the influx of Qatari funds and their transfer to the military wing" was one of the "main reasons for the strengthening of Hamas that allowed it to launch the attack," according to its executive summary.

Reporting by AFP