Hamas has reportedly been unable to pay its fighters for the past three months, largely due to Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid that have prevented the group from diverting and profiting off supplies. According to a source within the terrorist organization, members of Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, have not received any wages since approximately February the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported. The families of terrorists killed or captured in clashes with Israeli forces are also said to have been denied their customary payments.
Hamas is experiencing what may be the most severe crisis since its founding in 1987, as the far-reaching consequences of its October 7, 2023, assault on Israeli positions in the Gaza Strip continue to unfold—consequences the group likely never anticipated would be so devastating. Sources both within and outside Hamas told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement has never faced such dire circumstances—not during this war, nor during earlier periods of suppression by Israel or the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s. At that time, Hamas lacked the political and military strength it later amassed, yet its current predicament is seen as far more severe.
Hamas’s future is uncertain, yet with its military and governance capabilities heavily degraded, it persists as a significant actor, supported by Iran and led by a temporary five-member committee. Claims of Hamas’s total collapse should be viewed very cautiously, as it continues to adapt despite losses.