Hamas Faces Financial Crisis, Unable To Pay Its Fighters

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Hamas is facing a crippling cash crisis in Gaza, struggling to pay its fighters and government workers amid intensified Israeli military and economic pressure, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Israel’s ongoing military pressure is choking off Hamas’s financial lifelines and exposing internal dysfunction, Arab, Israeli, and Western officials told the WSJ.

Last month, Israel halted the flow of humanitarian goods into Gaza—supplies that Hamas had been intercepting and selling to fund its operations. The Israeli military has also stepped up targeted strikes, killing key Hamas officials responsible for handling and distributing funds, while forcing others into hiding, according to Arab intelligence sources.

In recent weeks, Israeli forces eliminated a central money changer accused of financing Hamas, along with several high-ranking political operatives, further crippling the group’s ability to move funds.

The effects are rippling through Hamas’s ranks. Salary payments to Gaza’s government workers have ceased, and during Ramadan, senior Hamas members reportedly received only half their usual pay. Rank-and-file fighters—previously earning between $200 and $300 a month—have had their wages cut or suspended entirely.

Moumen al-Natour, a lawyer from Gaza’s Al-Shati area, told The Wall Street Journal that Hamas is facing “a big crisis.” He added, “They were mainly dependent on humanitarian aid sold in black markets for cash.”

According to the Journal, Hamas also tried to sustain itself by taxing merchants, collecting customs fees at checkpoints, and seizing goods for resale—tactics that are becoming increasingly unsustainable under Israel’s tightening siege.

Beyond payroll problems, Hamas is reportedly facing difficulties in recruiting new fighters and retaining public support. Some Gaza residents have even staged protests against the terrorist organization, reflecting growing frustration and discontent.

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