Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) met with Qatari officials in secret for a "limited meeting," according to a Monday statement by the MK's team.
The encounter happened on January 12, 2025, on the same day as another meeting between the Qatari officials, Lapid's team, and the representatives of the Gaza hostages' families to discuss the hostage situation.
"Lapid and his team sat with the Qatari representative for a discussion that dealt with the issue of the hostages, and then the families of the hostages joined them," said a statement by Lapid's office.
"I didn’t have 'meetings with Qatar', there was one single meeting together with hostage families, which of course we reported on in the media," Lapid added in a statement shared on X.
He also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "receiving millions from Qatar, holding secret meetings with their officials during the war, and transferring millions of dollars to Hamas's military wing every month."
Lapid tables bill to establish Qatar as 'enemy state'
Lapid tabled a Knesset bill on Sunday to establish Qatar as an enemy state, making all contacts with representatives from that nation illegal.
"For years now, the State of Qatar has been acting in a systematic and ongoing manner against the security and political interests of the State of Israel, while supporting and financing terrorist organizations fighting Israel, foremost among them the Hamas terror organization," he wrote on X.
"Should the law pass, it will help us advance similar legislation together with the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States Congress," he added.