Although Qatar has been one of the most steadfast supporters of the Palestinian cause, Palestinian-Qatari relations have generally been a one-way street. With Doha’s involvement in the Palestinian territories primarily centered around the provision of financial aid to the Gaza Strip (exceeding $1 billion between 2012 and 2018, according to some reports), Hamas has become increasingly reliant on Qatar to stave off humanitarian crisis and ensure its continued stranglehold on Gaza’s population. This aid has ensured that thousands of Palestinian families have homes through Qatari construction projects and allowed for the continued functioning of the education system as well as the steady supply of fuel and even the distribution of charity to families in need.
As with many things in Gaza, whose borders are controlled by Israel and Egypt, such external support has not just been coordinated with Israel, but has largely taken place at the Israeli government’s behest. In the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Israel and Qatar, coordination has taken place through Qatar’s Gaza envoy, Mohammed al-Emadi, who is responsible for both facilitating the flow of Qatari funds and, when needed, arranging security coordination. Although Qatar and Israel are members of opposing informal regional alliances (Qatar is a close ally of Turkey and has of late developed its relations with Iran), Israel has long seen it as an actor instrumental for stabilizing the region.
