Israeli Operatives Ran Secret Anti-Qatar Influence Campaign After October 7, Report Reveals

A covert network of Israeli political advisers, psychological warfare specialists, and a former intelligence officer orchestrated a secretive influence campaign aimed at disparaging Qatar shortly after the October 7, 2023 attacks, according to an investigation by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The initiative sought to shape global public opinion against Doha before being abruptly dismantled roughly one month into its operation.

The clandestine project was established in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel. Organizers aimed to mobilize international scrutiny and diplomatic pressure against Qatar over its relationship with Hamas, operating under the theory that heightened global condemnation would compel Qatari authorities to pressure the Palestinian group into releasing the 251 captives seized during the initial raid.

According to details published by Haaretz, the initiative brought together a specialized cadre of around 30 individuals. The multidisciplinary team included political strategists, communications experts experienced in psychological operations, and a former official from Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad. Legal restrictions continue to bar the public disclosure of the identities of those who initiated the project.

Coordination among the operatives was conducted through a private WhatsApp channel established days after the October 7 assault, named "Free the Kidnapped." Despite being framed in reports as a civilian effort, the group functioned with significant operational sophistication, creating multilingual platforms to project its messaging onto an international audience.

The group's activities involved raising independent financial donations, producing tailored video content, reaching out directly to foreign journalists, and securing targeted media appearances. In parallel, the cell launched a dedicated website across several languages and maintained a network of coordinated social media accounts designed to amplify anti-Doha narratives.

Internal communications reviewed by Haaretz revealed tactical discussions regarding how best to frame the Gulf state. In one instance, a participant questioned the specific monetary sums transferred to Hamas to find figures they could use to forcefully press their narrative. Another member proposed the phrase "Qatar-ISIS Ltd," leading the campaign to adopt and circulate the slogan "Hamas is ISIS" across its official website and Facebook platforms.

Despite the rapid establishment of these digital assets and promotional strategies, the initiative had a brief lifespan. Approximately four weeks after its launch, the operation was unexpectedly halted, and its active infrastructure was wound down. One participant interviewed by Haaretz noted that the group ceased dealing with the campaign entirely without receiving any formal explanation regarding why the project was abandoned.

The nature and sudden cessation of the campaign have drawn analysis from regional disinformation experts. Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor at Northwestern University in Qatar, expressed skepticism that an operation of this scale and strategic alignment could emerge entirely apart from state interests, stating it was improbable that such an effort would exist without the motivation of an actor like Israel.

Jones, who has tracked comparable information operations directed against Qatar over the past three years, observed that the sudden shutdown might reflect strategic repositioning rather than a genuine end to such activities. He suggested that the campaign was either quietly halted to maintain plausible deniability or transitioned to external third-party entities to obscure direct involvement.

The revelations come against the backdrop of Qatar’s critical role as the primary diplomatic mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the war. For years, Doha has served as a central negotiating hub in Middle Eastern diplomacy, hosting Hamas’s political bureau since 2012 following an explicit request from the United States to establish a functioning communication channel with the group.

Qatari leadership has consistently rejected allegations regarding improper financial ties to Hamas, pointing out that its historical financial and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip was conducted with strict international oversight. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani previously highlighted that all support sent to the enclave was fully transparent, monitored by the United States, and actively facilitated by Israeli authorities to support the civilian population and enable hostage negotiations.

Diplomatic relations between the parties have faced acute strains throughout the conflict. Although Israeli delegations frequently traveled to Doha for indirect talks, the Israeli military launched an airstrike directly targeting Hamas negotiators in Qatar on September 9 of last year. The attack killed six people, including a Qatari citizen, drawing strong diplomatic condemnation from international allies such as the United Kingdom and France.

Following the strike on Qatari soil, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a formal apology to Doha. A subsequent ceasefire arrangement negotiated between Israel and Hamas faced repeated breakdowns, with Israel committing hundreds of recorded violations.

The wider conflict has resulted in widespread devastation across the Gaza Strip, where Israeli operations have killed more than 73,700 Palestinians since October 2023. The exposure of the influence campaign underscores the complex friction between covert information warfare and the sensitive diplomatic channels required to negotiate captive releases and broker ceasefires during wartime.