Congress delivered its staunchest warning to date on Sept. 9 that Turkey and Qatar could face financial and other penalties if they continue to support Hamas and other US-designated terrorist organizations.

Frustration that had been mounting for months if not years boiled over as lawmakers returned from an August recess marked by the conflict in Gaza. During a hearing on "Hamas' benefactors," members of both parties agreed with witnesses who described the two countries as US "frenemies" and endorsed calls for a much tougher line.

"We must make our message clear: If you help finance Hamas, there will be significant consequences and they will be unpleasant," said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs panel on terrorism. "I hope Qatar and Turkey are listening."

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said she agreed with the "frenemies" characterization. "It's a descriptive grabber," the chairwoman of the Middle East and North Africa subcommittee told Al-Monitor. "I worry that it makes light of it, but that's not the intent. It's capturing the complex relationship we have with our so-called allies."