Hamas’s annual turnover is estimated at R$5 billion
This Sunday’s Fantástico (3) highlights how the group finances its terrorist attacks and resistance against Israel, despite all the sanctions imposed on the Palestinian territory. The origin of various sources of income has already been traced by researchers and security forces in various countries.
This terrorist finance map includes transfers originating from organized crime along the triborder border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. (See below for more information).
Sandra Coelho, graduate strategist, explains that Hamas’s main sources of funding will primarily be state funding and the first donor will be the will. According to recent estimates, Hamas receives between $80 million and $100 million from the country.
Canadian researcher Jéssica Davis mentions another donor country: the Qatar. But in this case the money comes with the knowledge of the UN and even Israel. For a long time, millions literally traveled to Gaza in suitcases full of dollars.
“It is the money provided by the Hamas government to run social services in the Gaza Strip. It’s about the pay of civil servants and the like. And also because Hamas prefers cash because it is easier to divert,” explains security consultant International.
In addition to donors, Hamas has enormous revenue of its own because, like any government, it governs Gaza and collects taxes and fees. The researcher explains why this is a problem in the case of Hamas.
“Firstly, because they are not a democratic government. The last election was more than 15 years ago. Secondly, the question of how they collect these fees and taxes. They are a government, but they are also terrorists. And with terrorists there are always an element of coercion, blackmail. Hamas demands what it wants, from whomever it wants,” emphasizes the researcher.
1 of 4 Funders, taxes, unknown sources and illegal activities: Find out where the money of Hamas, a multimillion dollar terrorist group, comes from Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Funders, taxes, unknown sources and illegal activities: Find out where Hamas’s money comes from its millionaire terrorist group Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
When looking for other sources, the origin of the money becomes increasingly unclear.. “Hamas has a large investment portfolio in several countries. Lots of real estate. “You make a lot of profit with it,” says the researcher.
The companies may appear legitimate but are secretly controlled by Hamas to avoid international sanctions. However, these can also be companies that do not belong to Hamas but support the group.
According to The Economist magazine, this is the case with a shopping center construction company in Sudan and a company building skyscrapers in Sarjah in the United Arab Emirates.
2 of 4 Understand where the money of Hamas, the multimillion dollar terrorist group, comes from Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Understand where the money of Hamas, the multimillion dollar terrorist group, comes from Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
Cryptocurrencies and crime in the triborder area
Finally, there are two smaller but important sources: investments in virtual currencies, the socalled cryptocurrencies, and also money from crime on the triborder border between Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, a region often referred to in American government reports as a headquarters of the international terrorist financing. And where there is suspicion of financing the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
“The vast majority of these people are hardworking people, they are people who contribute to society. However, there are also criminal movements in these border areas, which are one of the main factors in the financing of terrorist bases,” emphasizes the President of the Development Assistance Institute for Borders (IDESF), Luciano Stremel Barros.
3 of 4 Financiers, taxes, unknown sources and illegal activities: Understand where the money of Hamas, a multimillion dollar terrorist group, comes from Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Financiers, taxes, obscure sources and illegal activities: Understand where the money comes from Hamas comes from its millionaire terrorist group Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
Adding up all the sources, researcher Jessica Davis estimates that Hamas earns $1 billion annually, about R$5 billion.
“Many investments are made in Turkey. But Turkey does not consider Hamas terrorists. Therefore, it is difficult to seize these assets. The challenge is to untangle this network and link the money to Hamas. It’s possible, but it doesn’t happen overnight,” it says.
4 out of 4 Hamas’s annual turnover is estimated at R$5 billion, says a researcher Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo Hamas’s annual turnover is estimated at R$5 billion, says a researcher Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo
In Gaza, the conflict means fewer resources for Hamas, but the conflict remains. Israel declares that the war will not end as long as Hamas exists, and Hamas reiterates its promise to wipe Israel off the map.
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