Question​:
Do​ ​you​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​the​ ​Qatari​ ​government​ ​has​ ​been​ ​funding​ ​Hamas?​ ​ ​If​ ​the​ ​Qatari​ ​government​ ​has​ ​been​ ​funding
Hamas,​ ​why​ ​has​ ​the​ ​State​ ​Department​ ​not​ ​designated​ ​them​ ​as​ ​a​ ​State​ ​Sponsor​ ​of​ ​Terrorism?​ ​ ​Has​ ​the​ ​Qatari
government​ ​funding​ ​of​ ​Hamas​ ​ceased?​ ​If​ ​the​ ​Qatari​ ​government​ ​has​ ​not​ ​been​ ​funding​ ​Hamas,​ ​to​ ​what​ ​were​ ​you
referring?
Answer​:
While​ ​the​ ​Qatari​ ​government​ ​does​ ​not​ ​fund​ ​Hamas,​ ​it​ ​does​ ​allow​ ​Hamas​ ​political​ ​representatives​ ​to​ ​be​ ​based​ ​in
Qatar,​ ​which​ ​Qatar​ ​believes​ ​limits​ ​Iran’s​ ​influence​ ​and​ ​pressure​ ​over​ ​Hamas.​ ​ ​Senior​ ​Qatari​ ​officials​ ​have​ ​stated​ ​that
Hamas’​ ​presence​ ​in​ ​Qatar​ ​does​ ​not​ ​imply​ ​support​ ​for​ ​the​ ​group​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Qatari​ ​government​ ​recently​ ​expelled​ ​some
Hamas​ ​members.​ ​ ​We​ ​do​ ​not​ ​expect​ ​Hamas’​ ​new​ ​Political​ ​Bureau​ ​Chief​ ​Ismail​ ​Haniyeh​ ​to​ ​be​ ​based​ ​in​ ​Qatar,​ ​unlike
his​ ​predecessor.​ ​ ​Qatar​ ​has​ ​committed​ ​to​ ​take​ ​action​ ​against​ ​terrorist​ ​financing,​ ​including​ ​shutting​ ​down​ ​Hamas​ ​bank
accounts.
Qatar​ ​has​ ​provided​ ​significant​ ​assistance​ ​in​ ​Gaza.​ ​ ​In​ ​coordination​ ​with​ ​Israel​ ​and​ ​the​ ​UN,​ ​Qatar​ ​has​ ​spent​ ​more​ ​than
$225​ ​million​ ​to​ ​date​ ​on​ ​reconstruction​ ​efforts,​ ​largely​ ​in​ ​housing​ ​and​ ​health​ ​care​ ​facilities​ ​for​ ​the​ ​people​ ​of​ ​Gaza.​ ​ ​This
assistance​ ​partially​ ​fulfills​ ​Qatar’s​ ​$407​ ​million​ ​pledge​ ​in​ ​2012​ ​and​ ​$1​ ​billion​ ​pledge​ ​announced​ ​during​ ​the​ ​2014​ ​Cairo
Conference​ ​on​ ​reconstructing​ ​Gaza,​ ​following​ ​the​ ​July-August​ ​2014​ ​war.