Netanyahu Warned About Hamas Millions Before October 7 Attacks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly warned ahead of time about funds transferred to Hamas from Qatar, according to disclosures published by the Norwegian newspaper VG on September 21, 2026. The revelation details prior security warnings issued to the Israeli leadership regarding the financial flows into the Gaza Strip, providing fresh context to the complex financial arrangements that preceded the ongoing regional conflict.

According to VG, the warnings highlighted the risks associated with permitting millions of dollars from Doha to enter Gaza. The financial transfers, which had been facilitated for years with Israeli acquiescence to pay public salaries and support humanitarian needs in the blockaded territory, faced internal scrutiny from intelligence and security officials who cautioned that the money could bolster Hamas’s military capabilities.

The disclosure places renewed focus on the diplomatic and financial calculus maintained by successive Israeli governments regarding Qatar’s role in Gaza. While officials in Jerusalem previously defended the Qatari payouts as a necessary measure to stabilize the enclave and prevent a total humanitarian collapse, critics and security analysts have argued that the arrangement inadvertently allowed the militant group to consolidate power.

The Qatari government has defended its past financial assistance to Gaza as transparent and coordinated with relevant regional and international partners, including Israel and the United Nations. Doha’s financial aid packages were frequently directed toward purchasing fuel for Gaza’s sole power plant, distributing cash stipends to impoverished families, and covering salaries for civil servants.

As international scrutiny persists over the intelligence failures and policy decisions leading up to the current hostilities, the newly revealed warnings underscore deep divisions within Israel’s security establishment regarding the management of the Gaza Strip. The documentation published by VG contributes to the growing public record concerning the pre-war policies that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.