Hamas Generating Millions From Gaza Aid Shipments Amid Merchant Boycott
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
Hamas is allegedly extorting millions of dollars daily from Palestinian merchants by imposing fees on humanitarian aid shipments entering Gaza. This has led to a boycott by businessmen, threatening the supply of essential goods to the enclave. The militant group's daily income from these levies is estimated at $4.2 million, with Israeli security services confirming the figures. The situation highlights Hamas's financial enrichment through aid, contrary to disarmament demands.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hamas is reportedly earning $4.2 million daily from mandatory fees on Gaza's humanitarian aid shipments.
- Palestinian merchants have launched an indefinite boycott, threatening Gaza's essential supply chain.
- The militant group has intensified its demands, charging $3,200 per vehicle entry.
- The detention of a merchant's son by Hamas militants triggered the current boycott.
- Israeli security services have confirmed the reported financial figures from the scheme.
Hamas is reportedly earning millions of dollars daily by imposing mandatory fees on Palestinian merchants involved in delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The militant group's potential daily income from this scheme is estimated at $4.2 million, totaling nearly $1.5 billion annually, according to a report cited by Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
Private entrepreneurs are responsible for approximately half of the total flow of food and essential goods into Gaza. These businessmen have announced a refusal to coordinate their vehicles' passage after Hamas introduced additional levies. This decision poses a direct threat to the stability of civilian supply.
Previously, Hamas required suppliers to sell at least a third of their goods for cash, which the group would then confiscate. Recently, the group intensified its demands, requiring a fixed fee of 10,000 shekels (about $3,200) for the entry of each vehicle. The situation escalated when Hamas militants detained the son of a prominent merchant, prompting the businessmen to declare an indefinite boycott and halt the processing of logistical documents for crossing checkpoints.
Official calculations indicate that Hamas's revenue from a single truck carrying basic goods exceeds 50,000 shekels, with more valuable shipments yielding hundreds of thousands of shekels. With an average of 175 commercial trucks daily and an estimated fee of 75,000 shekels per trip, the group accumulates up to 13 million shekels daily, approaching 4.8 billion shekels annually. Israeli security services have confirmed these figures.
The current situation challenges the existing aid delivery format, as Hamas appears to be using international humanitarian supplies for its financial enrichment, openly disregarding disarmament demands.
