The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Israel on Friday of funding Hamas, saying, “Hamas was financed by the government of Israel in an attempt to weaken the Palestinian Authority.” Borrell’s words come against the backdrop of the European Union imposing sanctions on Hamas and its leaders in an attempt to sever the organization's economic pipeline.
More stories:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been contending with criticism since the start of the war in Gaza over his long-standing policy of providing funds to the Gaza Strip, as part of a strategy intended to separate the rule of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank from Hamas’ rule in the Strip — thus foiling a diplomatic process with the Palestinians. Netanyahu, on his part, has denied this was the policy’s purpose.
Back in December, The New York Times reported that the Mossad has received "secret information" over the years saying that while the Qatari government transfers funds to the Gaza Strip for humanitarian aid, senior Qatari officials also directly send funds to Hamas’ military wing.
According to the report, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen believed near the end of his tenure that the issue of Qatari funds sent to Gaza had gone "out of control." Cohen's successor, David Barnea, told then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that he opposed the continued transfer of Qatari funds to the Strip, as part of them are being exploited by Hamas to enhance the organization's military capabilities.
The report added that the Mossad consistently opposed this policy throughout Bennett's tenure as prime minister, and during Netanyahu’s new administration, but the Qatari payments continued.
Eyal Hulata, the former head of Israel’s National Security Council (NSC), also said, "The conception of Netanyahu over a decade and a half was that if we buy quiet and pretend the problem isn’t there, we can wait it out and it will fade away." In practice, the history of Qatar’s funding of the Strip goes back a decade and a half.
In a conversation with journalist Dan Margalit in 2012, Netanyahu explained his strategy saying it was important to keep Hamas strong against the Palestinian Authority, as maintaining two opposing entities would reduce the pressure placed on him to conduct negotiations and progress the two-state solution.
Netanyahu’s critics clarified that transferring the funds allowed him to maintain his position as prime minister without offering to truly address the issue faced by Hamas’ rule in Gaza.
Meanwhile, a European Union official told Reuters on Friday that Europe has imposed sanctions on six individuals involved in funding Hamas. The move comes after the EU imposed sanctions this week on Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, freezing his funds and assets – and prohibiting European entities from providing him with funding or other economic resources.
At the same time, a Hamas delegation led by the terror organization’s politburo member Mousa Abu Marzook, is visiting Moscow. The visit included a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, after which the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, including three Russian nationals.
The meeting with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister took place at the Russian Foreign Ministry's headquarters in Moscow and was attended, by senior Hamas officials. The delegation reportedly engaged in "political consultations" with the Russians to discuss plans for a cease-fire and "putting an end to the war,” in Gaza.