DOHA — Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Sunday firmly denied longstanding accusations that his country finances Hamas, attributing Doha’s ties to the group to explicit requests from the United States and Israel more than a decade ago. In a candid onstage interview with U.S. conservative commentator Tucker Carlson at the Doha Forum 2025, Al Thani emphasized that Qatar’s role has been strictly mediatory — facilitating ceasefires, hostage releases, and humanitarian aid — while rejecting any responsibility for funding Gaza’s reconstruction amid the enclave’s devastation from Israel’s military campaign.
“The starting of the relationship with Hamas… was started back more than 10 years… at the request of the United States,” Al Thani told Carlson, clarifying that Hamas’s political office in Doha, established in 2012, served solely as a “communication channel” for ceasefires and aid delivery to Gaza’s civilians. He recounted how the arrangement originated during the Obama administration and received endorsements from successive Israeli leaders, including Benjamin Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, and security agencies like Mossad and Shin Bet, who coordinated every aid transfer to ensure funds reached Palestinian families, not militants.
Al Thani dismissed claims of terror financing as “baseless” and part of a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining Qatar’s U.S. ties. “Today, when they are claiming that this is the financing of Qatar to Hamas, it has no basis,” he asserted. “All our aid… went to Gaza, went to the people, and was under a very transparent process that the United States is fully aware about.” Qatar has channeled over $1.8 billion in humanitarian assistance to Gaza since October 2023, including salaries for 60,000 Palestinian civil servants and fuel for hospitals, all vetted by American and Israeli oversight mechanisms, according to Qatari officials. The prime minister accused critics, including U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, of leveraging these facts for political gain, ignoring the multilateral vetting that prevented any diversion to Hamas’s military wing.
The interview, held before a packed audience at the Qatar National Convention Centre as part of the forum’s “Newsmaker” series, also addressed a controversial Israeli airstrike on Doha in April 2025, which targeted mediation facilities and killed two Qatari diplomats. Al Thani described the attack as “unprecedented and unethical,” noting it occurred amid Qatar’s efforts to broker President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. “This kind of move was shocking… it was happening while we were trying to convince Hamas to sign the offer by President Trump,” he said. Carlson pressed on reports that Trump had greenlit the strike; Al Thani refuted this, recounting how the U.S. president personally called him immediately after, expressing “frustration and disappointment” and deeming it a “red line.” Washington subsequently compelled Netanyahu to apologize and extended a major security pact to Doha, reinforcing Qatar’s status as a key non-NATO ally hosting Al Udeid Air Base, home to 8,000 U.S. troops.
On reconstruction, Al Thani drew a firm line. “We will continue supporting the Palestinian people. We will do whatever to alleviate their suffering, but we are not the ones who are going to write the check to rebuild what others destroy,” he stated, alluding to Israel’s two-year offensive that leveled 80 % of Gaza’s buildings and infrastructure. A Qatari spokesperson later clarified that Doha would participate in multilateral efforts but not shoulder the burden alone, contrasting it with expectations for Russia to fund Ukraine’s rebuild. The UN estimates Gaza’s reconstruction at $90–100 billion, with the EU pledging €1.6 billion ($1.87 billion) in April and China $100 million last week, though funding gaps persist amid donor fatigue.
The ceasefire in question, brokered by Qatar, Türkiye, Egypt, and the U.S., took effect on October 10, 2025, halting active hostilities after 24 months of war sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which killed 1,200 and took 250 hostages. Under phase one of Trump’s plan, Hamas released 50 living hostages and 30 bodies in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and a phased Israeli withdrawal from northern Gaza. Yet, the truce has been fragile: Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 70,000 total Palestinian deaths since October 2023 — mostly women and children — with 350–360 more since the ceasefire, including 67 children per UNICEF data. Injuries exceed 171,000, with 672 post-ceasefire alone, amid near-daily Israeli strikes — 44 out of 55 days — on alleged violations like rocket preparations. The October 29 bombardment, killing 104 including 46 children, marked the deadliest breach, prompting U.S. mediation to reaffirm the truce.
Al Thani framed Qatar’s mediation as essential for engaging “non-state actors” like Hamas, warning that exclusion perpetuates cycles of violence. “You cannot resolve or reach a solution if you have no one speaking to non-state actors,” he told Carlson, advocating inclusive talks toward a two-state solution and rejecting forcible Palestinian transfers. He highlighted Qatar’s broader diplomacy, from Taliban talks to Ukraine-Russia channels, as proof of its neutral broker status, despite criticisms from pro-Israel U.S. lawmakers who label Doha a “terror state.”
The exchange drew immediate backlash on social media, with X users amplifying clips: one post from @ShadowofEzra garnered over 21,000 likes, claiming it exposed U.S.-Israeli complicity in funding Gaza’s “terror networks.” Critics like @WellsJorda89710 accused Carlson of Qatari influence, citing leaked documents on funding to his network. Carlson, concluding the interview, announced plans to buy a home in Doha “to make a statement,” defending his presence: “I’m an American… I’ll be wherever I want.” This sparked outrage from figures like Laura Loomer, who decried his proximity to Hamas leaders Khaled Mashal and Khalil al-Hayya.
Qatar’s stance resonates amid forum discussions on “Justice in Action,” where UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese decried Gaza as an “apocalyptic” genocide, urging enforcement of ICJ rulings. Al Thani warned of regional spillovers, including a potential 2026 Israel-Iran war destabilizing the Gulf, and called for revived nuclear diplomacy. As phase two looms — encompassing permanent truce and reconstruction — Doha’s refusal underscores a broader debate: who bears accountability for war’s ruins? For Palestinians facing famine and 90 % infrastructure loss, Al Thani’s pledge of aid offers lifeline, but his rebuff signals no blank checks. In Doha’s gilded halls, mediation’s tightrope sways, a reminder that peace’s price is shared, not shifted.
