How Israel steered Qatar’s money to Gaza

Plus: Europe can't replace Starlink  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Richard Hall | October 19, 2026     Hello there. Republicans have long owned the question of which party voters trust more on the economy, but as we head into the midterms, Democrats have pulled ahead in Washington Post-ABC polling for the first time since 2014. More on that below. We also bring you an exclusive story on Israel’s role in steering funding from Qatar to Gaza and how Europe is reacting to the U.S. move to throttle Ukraine’s satellites. IN TODAY’S BRIEF Israel’s role in Hamas funding Republicans’ Ramaswamy risk Canadian military base blaze Ukraine’s Musk problem It’s the economy, stupid A widower’s question for Vance         READ THIS FIRST Exclusive: Documents show how Israel steered Qatari payments to Gaza Angela Weiss—AFP via Getty Images As Israeli voters prepare for elections on Oct. 27, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to defend and distance himself from one of his government’s most controversial policies: allowing Qatar to funnel nearly $2 billion into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip for more than a decade. Previously undisclosed documents obtained by TIME, including letters from senior Israeli security officials to Qatari leaders, reveal that Israel encouraged and played a direct role in a payment program that was more extensive than Netanyahu has publicly acknowledged. Beginning in 2012, Netanyahu’s government helped to facilitate Qatari payments to Gaza that had begun after Hamas seized control in 2007. By 2018, Qatar had sent roughly $1.1 billion into the Strip, according to an analysis provided to Israeli ministers, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported, with the funding designated for humanitarian assistance, fuel, and government salaries.  The flow of money from Qatar into Gaza has taken on new significance since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, murdered some 1,200 people, and took 251 more hostages. The worst security failure in the country’s history raised troubling questions about whether the financial lifeline helped to sustain Hamas’s grip on power and, in turn, enabled it to carry out the assault. —Eric Cortellessa Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY ANGELINOS COFFEE Your K-Cups Sat in a Warehouse for Months Grocery store pods spend months going factory → warehouse → truck → shelf, losing the flavor oils that make coffee taste like coffee. Angelino's roasts, packs, and ships within days — 50+ flavors, compatible with Keurig®, from 39¢ a cup. New customers save 15%, no code needed. Try Fresh-Roasted Pods         IN THE NEWS Ramaswamy facing tougher fight than Republicans had expected in Ohio Samuel Corum—Getty Images On the day Vivek Ramaswamy made official his run for Ohio Governor, President Donald Trump did not dally to give his “COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT.” Trump’s post on Feb. 24 of last year essentially cleared what had been expected to be a crowded GOP field and effectively gave Ramaswamy almost two years to focus on keeping the Governor’s mansion in GOP hands. But the very connections to Trumpism that fueled Ramaswamy’s fast political rise are now giving his party reason to worry, as polls show him trailing Democrat Amy Acton, a former state health chief and a first-time candidate. If Democrats can show a rebound in Ohio, the state may actually wind up back on the must-visit list for 2028 contenders from both parties. After all, states like Georgia and Arizona were also once solidly red until break-out candidates—backed by party spending—upended those assumptions.  “Calm down,” says a consultant who has worked with Ohio candidates in past cycles, when asked about Democrats’ optimism. “It’s still Ohio.” —Philip Elliott Read the full story here.         HAPPENING NOW Four dead in ‘violent’ fire at a Canadian military base John Ulan—The Canadian Press via Associated Press Four service members died in a fire that broke out at one of Canada’s main military bases on Oct. 17, according to Prime Minister Mark Carney. Officials are continuing to assess the damage and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the deadly blaze. Carney made a statement at midday Sunday about what he described as a “violent, fast-moving fire” that left dozens wounded. “What followed was one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime,” he said.  Canada Defense Minister David McGuinty similarly underscored the severity of the incident in a video statement on Oct. 17. “I cannot recall an incident like this,” he said, describing the event as “very active and delicate.”  On Sunday, the military said there is no indication that this was an act of terrorism. —Rebecca Schneid Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY WISPR FLOW Leave Granola and get up to 12 months free of Wispr Flow Notetaker + Dictation If you have paid time left on an individual Granola plan, we'll match it with a Wispr Flow subscription that includes Notetaker and dictation, and add bonus time, up to 12 months total. Sign in or create a Wispr account and submit proof of your plan to check eligibility. Try Notetaker Free         IN FOCUS Why Europe has no quick fix for Ukraine’s Starlink problem Jonathan Raa—NurPhoto via Getty Images In the days since the satellite system used by Ukraine to defend itself against Russian attacks was sharply limited, the White House has continued to deny any role in the disruption. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has blamed the U.S. government, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied that Ukraine even had access to the system’s military component, a claim contradicted by Ukrainian officials and U.S. lawmakers. But speaking on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted that a “planned operation” was behind the speed cap on terminals using Musk’s Starlink and its military-grade sister service, Starshield—crippling the drones Ukraine uses to intercept Russian attacks. That the complications began just days after President Donald Trump struck a deal to import Russian diesel, and were followed by his decision on Friday to waive sanctions recently passed by Congress, only added to Zelensky’s suspicions that the restrictions were a clear message from the Trump Administration. “The message came from government,” he told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. “I don’t know from whom, what cabinet, and et cetera,” he added. Zelensky’s comments come after Reuters reported that an order to limit Starshield services in Ukraine came from inside the White House, citing two U.S. officials and a Western official briefed on the matter. The Telegraph reported separately that Musk had approached Trump with the idea. It is not the first time Starlink has disrupted Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. In 2022, Musk reportedly ordered Starlink to limit coverage in some parts of Ukraine while Kyiv was mounting an offensive to recapture occupied territories from Russia.  The continued disruptions, and the unreliability of a service that Ukraine’s war effort depends on, have left Kyiv and Europe looking for alternatives to Musk’s satellites.  Shares in European satellite operator Eutelsat rose by 23% on Wednesday when news of the restrictions first broke, and climbed again on Friday. The company operates OneWeb, a network of more than 600 satellites backed by the British and French governments.    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney last month signaled his desire to wean Canada off Starlink, citing previous disruptions in Ukraine as a reason.   The European Commission is also negotiating over Ukraine’s participation in GOVSATCOM, a European Union program that pools satellite resources to provide secure communications for government users. But Europe may struggle to replace Starlink’s massive network. Starlink currently has around 10,000 satellites in orbit, representing about two-thirds of all active satellites.  E.U. foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned Friday that it could take time to find an alternative.  “Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine,” Kallas said, “and unfortunately in the short term Europe can’t replace this capability.” Nonetheless, the current dispute will likely strengthen the E.U.’s push for greater technological sovereignty. —Richard Hall         ONE NUMBER 40% A new Washington Post-ABC poll finds that registered voters trust Democrats over Republicans to handle the economy for the first time in more than a decade. Democrats led 40% to 33%, the party’s first lead in Post-ABC polling since 2014. SOURCE: WASHINGTON POST-ABC         A VIRAL MOMENT ‘Failure in the leadership’ During a CBS News town hall on Saturday, Vice President JD Vance was questioned by an audience member who had lost his wife in an Iranian strike in the first hours of the war. Joey Amor blamed a “failure in the leadership” for the deaths of soldiers in the war. See Vance’s response below.         SPONSORED BY ROKU Blu Dot surpasses 2,000% ROAS with self-serve CTV ads Blu Dot used Roku Ads Manager to drive incredible results for its furniture sales event. Its strategy hinged on custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest. “Roku has been a top performer,” said Blu Dot’s Claire Folkestad. “We have seen…CPMs lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.” Learn More       Linked In this addictive word-association game, find the steps that will unite two seemingly unrelated words in just four moves. 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