Under the title "The secret funds of Hamas", the German newspaper Welt cites documents that have come to its knowledge, according to which Hamas maintains a huge network of companies, while, at the time when the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA) warns of a total collapse with unimaginable consequences for more than two million civilians and humanitarian organizations around the world gather aid for the affected population, Hamas leaders live in luxury hotels, far from the Gaza Strip.
The hundreds of millions of dollars in Hamas's bank accounts, the newspaper reports, instead of being used for the relief of the Palestinians, are being used for attacks against Israel and for the luxurious lifestyle of its leaders abroad.
Welt cites information from a former senior Israeli intelligence official, who investigates the financial flows of terrorist organizations, according to which Hamas leaders have built a financial empire outside the Gaza Strip worth a total of about $700 million that includes about 30-40 Hamas-controlled construction and real estate companies located in Turkey, Qatar, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan, which form the "golden safety net for the Hamas leadership and their families,” including Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Mashaal and Saleh al-Arouri.
Also, according to other classified documents obtained by Welt, the Hamas leadership has access to dozens of accounts in Turkish banks, such as Türkiye Finans, Albaraka, Kuveyt Türk, Vakif Katilim, and the state bank Ziraat Katilim, which are held in euros and US dollars, while German banks such as Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank in Dusseldorf, Unicredit Bank in Munich, as well as Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank and Citibank Europe branches in Frankfurt are used to transfer the money on behalf of Turkish branches.
"It is an open secret that Turkey is the second home of senior Hamas officials. Moreover, Erdogan does not hide his closeness to the terrorist organization that emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood," the newspaper comments, recalling that the Turkish President stated, during his speech in Ankara, that "Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but it is fighting for the liberation of her homeland".
Source: KYPE