Hamas running out of cash as Gaza starves under blockade

Hamas is running low on cash as Israel's blockade on Gaza continues to squeeze the group's finances

Western, Israeli and Arab officials say Israel's restrictions cut off a key source of revenue

reselling aid and taxing goods brought into the territory. Before the war, Hamas reportedly seized portions of humanitarian shipments

and taxed merchants at border checkpoints. Israeli officials say the group also bought goods overseas and sold them inside Gaza

using the profits to fund operations. But after Israel sealed the borders in March, those revenue streams largely disappeared

The impact has been severe, with Hamas now struggling to pay staff

Government salaries stopped. Senior members saw wages cut during Ramadan. Fighters are facing pay delays or earning less than the usual $200 to $300 a month

Israeli strikes have also killed officials linked to cash distribution, making large-scale payouts too risky

The group has shifted to smaller person-to-person transfers to avoid detection. The financial strain is making it harder for Hamas to recruit and maintain unity Meantime frustration with the group leadership is growing along with public protests Prior to the war Hamas relied on a million monthly cash transfer

from Qatar and additional funding from abroad. But with direct transfers blocked, Hamas increasingly

relied on controlling aid, taxing trade, and seizing supplies. Now that system has broken down

Humanitarian agencies warn the blockade deepens the crisis for Gaza's two million residents

UN reports show a surge in child malnutrition, with more than 3,600 children admitted for acute hunger last month, an 80 percent jump from February

Israel's defense minister called the blockade a pressure lever. Hamas called it a public admission of war crimes

The UN also pushed back on plans to screen aid recipients or centralized distribution under Israeli oversight

With cash scarce, some Palestinians are using mobile payments or fixing damaged banknotes to keep money in circulation

ysts estimate about $3 billion in cash remains in Gaza, much of it damaged or hard to access

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