A stunning revelation threatens to reshape the narrative around October 7 as Israel grapples with spreading regional instability and escalating territorial moves in the West Bank.
Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reports that approximately one month before Hamas launched its devastating October 7 attack, Israeli officials requested that Qatar increase funding transfers to Hamas in Gaza. The request, made in September 2023, came after Hamas issued threats of violent escalation. Qatar's envoy to Gaza had reportedly informed Israeli officials that Hamas was seeking to maintain stability during ongoing talks. The revelation adds explosive new dimensions to questions about intelligence failures and policy decisions preceding the deadliest attack on Israeli soil in decades.
The timing of this disclosure coincides with unprecedented unrest across Iran, where violent protests have now spread to 21 provinces, forcing government shutdowns of businesses, universities, and offices. The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran has released footage showing confrontations between security forces and protesters chanting 'Death to the dictator' amid economic collapse and skyrocketing prices. President-elect Trump weighed in forcefully, declaring the United States 'locked and loaded and ready' to protect Iranian protesters from the regime. Meanwhile, reports indicate the IRGC may be developing chemical and biological missile warheads—a development that adds urgency to the regional calculus.
Israel continues consolidating control in contested territories. The government has stripped the Hebron Municipality of planning and construction powers over the Ibrahimi Mosque, drawing immediate condemnation from Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ancient site, sacred to both Jews and Muslims as the burial place of the patriarchs, represents another flashpoint in the broader struggle over holy sites. This follows the pattern of expanded Israeli authority in the West Bank, where security operations continue amid persistent tunnel threats along the Gaza envelope.
The financial architecture underlying these conflicts continues evolving. Gold analysts point to 2026 as a pivotal year for monetary systems, with the petrodollar framework showing strain as nations explore alternatives including CBDCs and stablecoins. South Korea's exchange operator is positioning for crypto ETFs while regulatory approval remains stalled—a microcosm of the tension between digital finance innovation and institutional caution playing out globally. Bitwise's filing for 11 new crypto ETFs barely moved markets, suggesting investor fatigue or a fundamental repricing of digital asset expectations.
The AI sector faces its own reckoning. OpenAI's Sam Altman and Silicon Valley's billions have accelerated the race toward artificial general intelligence, but critics increasingly question whether the technology serves imperial rather than humanitarian ends. The concentration of AI development among a handful of corporate actors raises profound questions about power, surveillance, and economic displacement that intersect with the financial transformations reshaping global markets.
Prophetic observers note the convergence of these developments around Israel and the ancient lands of Persia. The book of Ezekiel speaks of a time when nations would be drawn into conflict around Israel while economic systems undergo fundamental transformation. Whether one interprets these events through a spiritual lens or purely geopolitical analysis, the concentration of instability across the Middle East, the questions surrounding Hamas funding, and the technological disruption of financial systems represent a constellation of pressures unlike any in recent memory.
Watch for how the Qatar funding revelations affect Netanyahu's coalition and whether Iranian protests can sustain momentum against regime crackdowns. The intersection of territorial expansion, economic warfare, and technological disruption suggests 2026 will test assumptions about stability that have held for decades.