Despite worsening conditions in Gaza, top Hamas leaders live in luxury abroad, amassing billions, while civilians face famine, poverty, and a collapsing infrastructure.
As conditions in the rubble-strewn Gaza Strip worsen after more than 700 days of conflict, senior Hamas officials are reportedly living in luxury in Qatar.
Khaled Mashal, who heads Hamas’s political bureau abroad, along with Mousa Abu Marzook, is said to have a combined net worth exceeding $3 billion (£2.2 billion), according to the Israeli Embassy in the United States.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in July that nearly 12,000 children under five suffer from severe malnutrition in the Strip, where conditions have long been described as catastrophic.
Gaza is often referred to as the world’s largest open-air prison.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 64,656 people and wounded 163,503 since October 2023, destroying entire families and neighbourhoods. Thousands more are believed to be under the rubble.
In addition, Israel’s list of war crimes includes the starvation of Gaza’s civilians, the failure to protect them during military operations in which Israeli forces killed tens of thousands of innocents, and the wanton destruction of entire towns in a manner that is not proportionate to the military risk Israel faces.
Netanyahu and his former defence minister are the subject of arrest warrants for war crimes issued by the International Criminal Court. They insist on their innocence.
Even before Hamas’s October 7 terror attack on Israel ignited the current war, half of Gaza’s population relied on food aid from the United Nations.
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Since then, the situation has drastically worsened, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warning that more than half a million people in Gaza face an “entirely man-made” famine, leading to starvation, destitution, and death.
Israel denies these claims, calling the IPC report a “lie” and accusing Hamas of diverting aid. Despite Gaza’s 2.3 million residents suffering extreme poverty, hundreds of millionaires are registered in the coastal territory.
While most residents live in poverty in this densely populated area – about a quarter the size of Greater London – a small elite enjoy marble-floored mansions and luxury hotels.
The Israeli Embassy in the US estimates Hamas’s annual revenue at $1 billion (£739 million), making it the second wealthiest terror group after ISIS.
Known primarily for its militant wing, reportedly comprising 40,000 fighters armed with rifles and rockets, Hamas also governs Gaza, controlling healthcare, social services, and media.
Since taking power in 2006, with Ismail Haniyeh as its first prime minister, Hamas has ruled without elections, effectively establishing an authoritarian regime.
Over the years, Hamas’s leadership has profited from the people’s suffering. The Israeli Embassy accuses Hamas of channelling funds into tunnel-building and armaments instead of essential infrastructure like water wells and treatment plants.
Studies show that water pollution causes about 25% of diseases in Gaza, and contaminated water-related infections account for 12% of young child deaths.
“While Gazans lack basic necessities, Hamas lines its pockets with aid money,” the embassy stated on social media.
Israel also claims Hamas knowingly exposes civilians to danger by failing to build bomb shelters while provoking Israeli military retaliation, using Palestinians as human shields and hoarding wealth amid widespread hunger.
German newspaper Bild reports several Hamas officials have grown particularly wealthy, including Mashal, Marzook, Younis Qafisheh, and Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran in July 2024.
Haniyeh, believed to be the richest among them despite portraying a modest lifestyle, spent much time in hiding while living lavishly in hotels in Qatar and Turkey. He frequently travelled via private jet between Tehran, Istanbul, Moscow, and Cairo, meeting allies.
His sons Maaz and Abdel Salam flaunt wealth on social media, with Maaz, a prominent real estate magnate dubbed “father of houses,” often seen indulging in a lifestyle.
Abdel Salam, once Hamas’s sports ambassador, was disgraced for embezzlement.
Estimates of their fortunes vary, with figures ranging from $2.5 million (£1.8 million) to as high as $5 billion (£3.7 billion). Khaled Mashal, 67, fled Damascus during the Arab Spring and now resides in Qatar, managing Hamas’s financial and real estate dealings abroad.
He reportedly took $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion) from Hamas’s Damascus headquarters. The Israeli embassy places his net worth around $4 billion (£2.95 billion).
According to i24News, these top officials represent only the visible portion of Hamas’s vast wealth.
Hundreds of leaders reportedly accumulate millions through taxing goods entering Gaza and receiving international donations, primarily from Qatar.
While estimates differ, it is clear that Hamas leaders have amassed huge fortunes. In 2022, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Hamas finance officials and facilitators, noting that Hamas’s Investment Office controls assets worth over $500 million in countries including Sudan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and the UAE. German reports suggest Hamas has a financial empire outside Gaza valued near $750 million (£600 million).
As a designated terror group, Hamas is barred from receiving aid from the U.S. and EU, which support the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
Instead, funding has come historically from Palestinian expatriates, private Middle Eastern benefactors, and some Western Islamic charities.
Israel has allowed Qatar to channel hundreds of millions in aid to Gaza, alongside funds from the Palestinian Authority and UN agencies. Hamas also generates revenue by taxing goods smuggled through tunnels bypassing the Egyptian border.
Egypt permits some commercial goods, with Hamas reportedly collecting over $12 million (£8.8 million) monthly in taxes on imports.
Iran is among Hamas’s largest backers, providing about $100 million (£74 million) annually in funds, weapons, and training to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other designated terror groups.
Turkey also supports Hamas politically and has faced accusations of diverting aid to Hamas’s military wing despite claiming to back only the political faction.
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