Status: 03.11.2023, 15:04 PM
By: Christoph Gschoßmann
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While the population in the Gaza Strip suffers from hunger and poverty, some Hamas leaders are apparently billionaires. New figures from Israel suggest so.
Tel Aviv – The Gaza Strip is in dire straits and misery. Around 60 percent of Palestinians have an income below the international poverty line of $60 per month. Meanwhile, people are having to endure the bombardments and ground attacks by the Israeli army, which is waging war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas terror attacks on October 7. A conflict for which, according to experts, there currently seems to be no solution in sight. But while many Gazans fear for their survival and hope for aid deliveries, Hamas leaders seem to be pure luxury. At least that's what a post shared by the Israeli embassy in the U.S. on LinkedIn suggests.
It underscores the apparent enormous wealth reserves in the hands of the Hamas terror group and the discrepancy between its leaders and the Palestinian people they claim to represent. The 65-second video points out that Hamas, with an annual turnover of $<> billion, is financially the largest terrorist organization after the Islamic State, whose turnover is estimated to be two to three times higher.
Children in the Gaza Strip Die of Polluted Water – Hamas Leaders Are Billionaires
According to the video, Hamas uses its funds to build tunnels rather than basic infrastructure such as wells and water treatment, which means that 3 percent of child deaths in Gaza are due to contaminated water. Hamas uses the impenetrable network of tunnels as its headquarters for its operations, including those of October <>. Among those killed in the Hamas attacks was the German woman Shani Louk.
Israel has sealed off the Gaza Strip and is carrying out massive air and ground strikes. © Mohammad Abu Elsebah/dpa
In the article, Israel estimates the net worth of several Hamas leaders, all of whom live in Qatar hundreds of kilometers from Gaza. The portfolio of Abu Marzouq, deputy chairman of Hamas' political bureau, is worth $24 billion, while senior leaders Khaled Mashal and Ismail Haniyeh are worth about $<> billion each. The website i<>news goes even further, estimating Mashal's current value at $<> billion. His investment portfolio includes banks in Egypt and real estate projects in the Gulf States.
Smuggling in the Gaza Strip Extremely Lucrative for Hamas Elite – US Wants to Intervene
Hundreds of mid- to high-level Hamas leaders are said to have become millionaires by smuggling goods through the tunnel network. A report by MSN Financial World points out that Hamas assets are used not only to create personal wealth, but also often to compensate imprisoned terrorists or their families. Payments range from $400 per month for those serving up to three years in prison to $3400 per month for those serving 30 years or more in prison.
The U.S. wants to crack down on Hamas' assets. On October 18, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against "Hamas operatives and financial intermediaries." Among them were eight people based in Sudan, Turkey, Qatar, the West Bank and elsewhere, as well as a virtual currency company called Buy Cash. "The Treasury Department has a long history of effectively suppressing terrorist financing, and we will not hesitate to use our tools against Hamas," it said at the time. (cgsc)
The information on the war in Israel processed here comes from international media and news agencies, but also from the parties to the conflict. However, some of the information on the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip cannot be independently verified. Even in these cases, we remain transparent.