A report that appeared Tuesday in Forbes Israel (Hebrew link) ranks Hamas as the world’s second wealthiest terror organization, trailing only the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in rankings.
Hamas is the second richest terror group in the world, with finances of around $1 billion, according to a report published by Forbes Israel this week listing the top 10 wealthiest terror groups. …
The report does not detail where the terror groups get their money from, but Hamas had been able to control imports into the Gaza Strip through a series of smuggling tunnels from Sinai before they were largely destroyed by Egypt’s army over the last two years.
With $500 million, Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed terror group that targets Israel, ranked fourth on the list.
The Times notes further that:
Palestinians have asked the international community to donate some $4 billion to the Strip to help rehabilitation efforts after the summer war with Israel, though countries have expressed concerns about the money going to the hands of Hamas.
During a one-day donor conference in October, international envoys pledged about $5.4 billion in aid for the Gaza Strip.
It appears that the Forbes report is referring to organizational wealth. But recent reports have identified a number of Hamas’ leaders as being billionaires in their own right. Qatar-based Khaled Meshaal is estimated to be worth $2.6 billion. Gaza-based Ismail Haniyeh has also accumulated significant wealth and has bought expensive homes for his children.
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