Hamas Requested $500 Million from Iran to Destroy Israel

International Desk

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed that Hamas sought $500 million in financial assistance from Iran to carry out plans to obliterate Israel. The disclosure was reported by the Times of Israel on Sunday.

According to Katz, in June 2021, Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif sent a letter to Esmail Qaani, head of Iran’s Quds Force. The letter requested monthly installments of $200,000 over two years, amounting to $500 million, to fund efforts aimed at destroying Israel.

Katz stated that the letter was uncovered by Israeli forces during an operation in a Gaza tunnel, which provided evidence of a long-standing financial and strategic alliance between Hamas and Iran.

In response, Saeed Izadi, the head of the Palestinian division of Iran’s Quds Force, allegedly assured Hamas of financial support. Katz claimed Iran aimed to harm Israeli and U.S. interests through this funding.

The financial agreement reportedly facilitated Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to numerous deaths and the taking of hundreds of Israeli hostages. This event escalated into the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Israeli operations have since killed two top Hamas leaders, Sinwar and Deif, who were said to have orchestrated the attack. Additionally, Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s former political chief, was killed in an Israeli operation in Tehran.

Hamas has long been accused of conducting “proxy wars” on behalf of Iran in the Middle East. Reports have emerged alleging that Hamas leaders live luxurious lives abroad funded by such financial support, with large sums held in international bank accounts. A Middle Eastern country recently ordered Hamas leaders to leave its territory.

Israel has consistently alleged that Hamas’s operations against it are fueled by Iranian funding and weaponry.

Hamas affiliates, however, have dismissed Katz’s claims as an attempt to justify Israel’s military actions.

Hamas leader Osama Hamdan stated in a recent AFP interview, “Many of our leaders have been martyred, but new fighters have joined. Our resistance continues.” He added, “Israel is not untouchable. Their capabilities have limits.”

International analysts believe the Israel-Iran-Hamas conflict is entering a new phase. These allegations, coupled with diplomatic pressures and accusations of war crimes, are expected to add complexity to the ongoing regional tensions.