Israel's Inaction on Hamas's Half-Billion Dollar Assets Exposed
Israeli security officials discovered in 2018 that Hamas controlled assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, including mining and real estate companies in various countries. However, no action was taken to sanction or expose these companies, allowing Hamas to continue receiving funds and buying weapons. The US Treasury Department eventually imposed sanctions, but Hamas figures still managed to gather millions of dollars. Israeli leadership, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, considered Hamas more interested in governing than combat and encouraged Qatar to provide funds for stability. The Mossad's Task Force Harpoon, responsible for disrupting money flows to groups like Hamas, was shut down the following year.