Israeli ‘influence campaign against Qatar’ launched after October 7 attack

A group of Israeli influence experts and political advisers worked on a secret campaign targeting Qatar in the weeks after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, before the initiative was abruptly halted, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The campaign was launched days after the assault on southern Israel and sought to pressure Qatar over its relationship with Hamas, Haaretz reported on Monday. “Their goal was to launch a global civilian influence campaign against Qatar,” the newspaper reported. Those behind it believed international pressure could force Doha to influence Hamas to secure the release of the 251 captives taken to Gaza on October 7.