Iran, Qatar and investments: These are Hamas’ big sources of money

Hamas shocked the world with the mass murder of hundreds of Israelis. But despite its cruel terrorist attack, the radical Islamic Palestinian organization can count on influential supporters and profitable investments in the Middle East.

When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, part of Germany cheered. Muslims in a good mood are handing out sweets on the streets of Berlin. Even in Hamburg you can laugh about the hundreds of murders of women, children and entire families, like one Contribution from NDR proven.

The cheering from Germany hurts, but is probably more of a symbolic nature. But Hamas can probably still rely on donations from Muslims from all over the world, including in Western countries, to finance its terrorist activities: As the largest Islamic charity in the USA, the Holy Land Foundation transferred millions of dollars to the Palestinian territories from the 1980s until its ban in 2001. The money was supposedly intended to support social institutions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, but these were under the control of Hamas. Instead, the money often ends up with the families of suicide bombers as a perfidious form of grief support.

Overall, however, donations have probably decreased in recent years. Not only in the USA, but also in Canada and other Western countries, many alleged charitable organizations were banned and classified as terrorist organizations because of their support for Hamas, especially following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Nevertheless, the financial possibilities of the radical Islamic Palestinian organization have probably not decreased since then, but increased.

Tunnel as a money machine

The independent non-governmental portal Counter Extremism Project Hamas’s rule over the Gaza Strip is the main reason for its new financial strength. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. A year later, the terrorist organization came to power. The Hamas budget is said to have subsequently increased from $40 to $540 million a year in just six years. In 2013 it was 700 million dollars.

According to the “Times of Israel” have invested at least $100 million a year in its military capabilities. Almost half of it was pumped into the extensive tunnel system under the Gaza Strip.

Control over 40 companies

The underground network is used to smuggle fighters and weapons into the Gaza Strip. At the same time, it is also a lifeline and an important source of money: Hamas collects taxes on deliveries of food and other important goods. At the height of the underground supply, it is said to have earned around 500 million dollars a year in this way alone – at least until 2013: At that time, Egypt claims to have destroyed 90 percent of the tunnel system. How much of it still exists today is unclear.

The same applies to Hamas’ investment portfolio. Despite sanctions, the terrorist organization is said to be operating through a network of shadow companies, according to the US Treasury Department $500 million in foreign companies have invested. Citing an Iranian diplomat, Reuters reported in 2021 that Hamas controls around 40 companies in Algeria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.

It is also known that Hamas jumped on the crypto bandwagon a few years ago. The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has occasionally explained on its website in several languages ​​how to store Bitcoins and use them to donate money. In this way, terrorists and other criminals want to conceal the flow of money and income and avoid sanctions. In 2021 the USA could A million dollars from the Kassam Brigades in various cryptocurrencies.

Qatar steps in

Not an insignificant amount, but still one that can be ignored. Because Hamas’s really big donors are foreign partner states. Like that Counter Extremism Project In summary, the Turkish government pledged $300 million to Hamas in 2011. The money was intended to close gaps in the civilian budget of the Gaza Strip. The Turkish government therefore did not want to pay the money directly to Hamas, but rather to non-governmental organizations. It was unclear at the time whether it would be a one-time payment or one annual.

Just a year later, Qatar also announced a payment of $400 million. The emirate is one of Hamas’ biggest supporters. Since 2012, it has been home to the permanent political office of the radical Islamic organization. When Hamas could no longer pay the salaries of 44,000 public sector employees in 2014, the emirate also stepped in. In total, it is said to have already provided $1.5 billion.

However, just like Turkey, the emirate attaches great importance to the fact that the money is not used for terrorism, but rather for humanitarian purposes such as electricity supply. This is also how Germany justifies its aid payments to the Palestinian territories.

However, in the case of Qatar, it is not always clear where the money actually ends up: The emirate is accused of having received money from Hamas’ military wing through a bank and a charity organization. The second radical militia in the Palestinian territories, Islamic Jihad, is also said to have benefited. However, there is no evidence for this.

Riyadh supports suicide bombers

The situation is different in the case of Saudi Arabia: When the second intifada began in September 2000, the kingdom transferred millions of dollars to the families of suicide bombers through the Jordanian Arab Bank to support the Palestinian uprising against Israel. The US government was able to provide evidence of the payments. In 2014, the bank was found responsible for the attacks in Israel and was convicted by a US court of terrorist financing sentenced.

The bank appealed. Four years later, the verdict was overturned after the bank reached an out-of-court settlement with 597 victims of the Hamas attacks.

More information, more money

For years, Hamas has received the greatest support from Iran. Since the 1990s, the regime in Tehran is said to have paid several hundred million dollars to the radical Islamic organization. According to this, it is still the case today Counter Extremism Project around 70 million dollars a year – at least: The “Times of Israel” reported in 2019 that Iran would increase its payment to $30 million a month if Hamas can provide information about where Israeli missiles are stored.

Unlike other states, Iranian support is not limited to monetary payments: Tehran also provides weapons and combat training. There was only a rift in relations a good ten years ago, when the Syrian civil war broke out: Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah sided with the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. Hamas instead supported Sunni militias that wanted to overthrow Assad. Iran then temporarily cut its cash payments. For ten years we have stood side by side again: united by hatred of Israel.