Qatar Pledges to Fund New Gaza Flotilla After Turkey Pulls Support

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Snapshot of footage from the MV Mavi Marmara by IDF sources, showing an Israeli soldier being beaten with iron pipes during the Gaza flotilla raid. Photo: IDF.

The government of Qatar and the Turkey-based, terror-tied IHH Islamic charity on Monday agreed that the Gulf state would fund an upcoming “humanitarian” flotilla to Gaza, according to Israel’s NRG News.

The strategic cooperation agreement signed in Doha between the two “calls for the implementation of immediate, medium, and long-term joint humanitarian goals and to rationalise the use of their resources to achieve ‘maximum impact,’” The Gulf Times reported on Tuesday.

The Turkish organization, which several countries deem a terrorist entity, organized the infamous Mavi Marmara flotilla in 2010, which tried to breach an Israeli anti weapons-smuggling naval blockade.

Israeli naval commandos commandeered the lead vessel in the six-ship group, killing nine foreign nationals after they were attacked upon boarding the craft.
IHH last month said they’d try to repeat the act, soon.

“The organization will send another flotilla after they receive permission from the government in Ankara that Turkish naval forces will defend the flotilla and its participants,” IHH leader, Bulent Yildirim, said.

Ankara, however, pulled its support for the planned protest several weeks ago.
Both IHH and Qatar are close to Hamas, and Yildirim reportedly also has ties to al-Qaeda.
According to Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News, “Yildirim is being investigated for allegedly financing al-Qaeda through his organization,” daily Habertürk has reported.

“The probe, led by an Istanbul specially authorized prosecutor, accuses Yildirim of ‘providing financial aid to al-Qaeda via his foundation” with absolute secrecy, reportedly without official numbering and identification.

Qatar has faced harsh criticism from Israel in recent weeks over its funding for terror group Hamas which has been engaged in an ongoing battle with the Jewish state.