Eurasia Press & News
In the aftermath of the short Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Israel is making a new attempt to cut Hamas off from its funding sources.
Last month, Israel cut off shipments of humanitarian supplies to Gaza, which anonymous informants allege Hamas militants had been seizing and selling to raise funds. Israel also killed Hamas officials who filled key financial roles in the terrorist organization, per The Wall Street Journal.
“Even if they sit on large amounts of cash, their ability to distribute it would be very limited right now,” said Eyal Ofer, an expert on Gaza’s economy. He told The Wall Street Journal that Hamas usually supplies payments via courier or through geographic disbursement locations. However, “Those two things would grab attention,” he said.
As a result, Hamas is facing a shortage of funds, he said.
Hamas appears to be running on fumes
Moumen Al-Natour, a Palestinian lawyer from the Al-Shati camp in central Gaza and an opponent of Hamas, reported that Hamas has “a big crisis” on its hands, saying the group leaders “were mainly dependent on humanitarian aid sold in black markets for cash,” according to the Times of Israel.
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said humanitarian aid supplies would eventually resume, but only through “civilian companies,” to keep food and equipment from falling into the hands of Hamas, according to the Times of Israel.
Officials report that Hamas has so far relied on its reserves of roughly $500 million, though those are reportedly dwindling.
The Times of Israel noted that Hamas is also struggling to attract new recruits. And, as the Deseret News previously reported, Gazans have been protesting the war, even as Hamas cracks down on protesters who are advocating for Hamas to agree to a ceasefire.
Hope for a new ceasefire deal
BBC reported Tuesday that a Hamas source said Qatari and Egyptian mediators proposed a deal to end the war.
Neither Israel nor Hamas have made official comments on a proposed deal. The last agreement collapsed amid accusations from Israel and Hamas that the agreement had been breached. Fighting then resumed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the war will not end until Hamas is destroyed and its hostages are returned, while Hamas has insisted that Israel end the war before the hostages are freed.
