Eisenkot Confirms: 'I Was a Partner in the Desire to Transfer Qatar Funds in November 2018'

Gadi Eisenkot said in an interview with N12 News in March 2025 that he was a partner in the desire to transfer Qatar funds to Gaza in November 2018, and during his tenure as IDF Chief of Staff characterized Qatar funding as serving 'mutual interests' and warned that without it 'the explosion will come faster.'

Gadi Eisenkot, then a Knesset member from the State Camp, said in an interview with 'News at the End of the Week' on N12 on March 22, 2025: 'I was a partner in the desire to transfer the Qatar funds in November 2018 and supported the work done by the military and the institute in promoting Prime Minister's plan.' According to the report, Eisenkot discussed in the interview the deliberations that led to bringing the money into the Strip.

This position by Eisenkot was documented during his tenure as IDF Chief of Staff. On December 23, 2018, in an indirect response to criticism from Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett, Eisenkot said according to Ynet: 'The Gaza Strip receives funding of approximately 15 million dollars from Qatar for administrative funding. This is done for the benefit of our mutual interests.' On that occasion he added: 'I am aware that we have not succeeded in providing a good sense of security in the past three years facing the harsh security reality.'

On January 8, 2019, in a meeting with heads of authorities in the Gaza Envelope, Eisenkot said according to a report in Channel 10 that appeared in Channel 7 that the Qatar funds balance tensions in the south and without it 'the explosion will come faster.' According to him, this is not about 'protection' but about realizing an Israeli interest in advancing the economy in Gaza.

Eisenkot currently heads the Yashar party and is running for prime minister, and the Qatar funds transferred to the Strip in the years before October 7 is one of the issues discussed in the election campaign. The three statements, from December 2018, January 2019 and March 2025, place him on the side of supporters of the transfer in its initial stage.