Opinion and Commentary By Donna Westfall – December 10, 2023
Up until 2009, Israel had diplomatic and financial relations with Qatar. As a result of Operation Cast Lead, a 22 day military assault on the Gaza strip after suffering rocket fire on Israeli civilians, Qatar broke off relations.
Qatar has transferred more than $1.8 billion to Hamas. Qatar is considered the most important financial backer and foreign ally of Hamas.
Three leaders of Hamas live in Qatar. Who are they?
Who runs Hamas?
#1 Leader – Ismail Haniyeh currently serves as political chief since 2017. 61 years old. He has been living in Doha, Qatar since 2016. Citing a net worth of $4 BILLION and living a life of luxury while 80% of those living in Gaza live in poverty, the unemployment rate 47%. In 2019, he left Gaza and went to Cairo, and from there to Turkey, Qatar, Oman, Iran and Malaysia.
He is married and has 13 children. His wife keeps a low profile. His father was a fisherman. He had three sisters and one brother. His wife and two of their children along with some of their grandchildren and families of some of their guards joined him in Qatar in 2020.
In October 2023, 14 members of his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike on his family home in Gaza City, among them his brother, nephew and two grandchildren.
Who else in the Hamas leadership lives in Qatar?
#2 Leader – Moussa Abu Marzuk also reportedly worth $4 BILLION. He is married with six children. 72 years old. He lived in the US for 14 years earning a Masters Degree from Colorado State University and a Doctorate at Louisiana Tech University. In an interview last month with Hindustan Times, he stated, “Everyone knows that 75% of the people in the Gaza strip are refugees, and it is the responsibility of the United Nations to protect them.”
#3 Leader – Khaled Meshaal reportedly worth $3 BILLION. Considered one of the founders of Hamas. 67 years old. Married with seven children. Living in Qatar since 2012. His family was forced to leave Gaza after the Six Day War in 1967.
Let’s look at the underground tunnels – 500 kilometers (311 miles) built to protect Hamas fighters from airstrikes, not shelter for civilians. 13 to 70 meters deep (42′ to 230′), since the soil is sandy, flooding can occur. Some parts of the tunnel were flooded by IDF with sea water. Much of the tunnels are reinforced with concrete, contain electricity and are large enough for cars to go through being 65′ wide.
At a cost of millions of dollars, these tunnels were built underneath Gazan towns, inside private homes, under hospitals, schools, playgrounds, mosques and brush.
Some Questions:
Why aren’t millions spent to better the lives of people living in Gaza? Good questions which bear further research.
At one point, Qatar paid millions of dollar to Gaza and spent $30 million per month to help run it’s sole power plant, and to help support needy families and public servants in the Hamas run government. One source has said that Palestinian Authority (PA) receives $300 million annually from the US. Trump did cut this off, but Biden restored it. Additionally the PA receives even more from the UN, and pays out annually more than $15 million to families of Jihadists who have died while committing their atrocities.
Some Answers:
Hamas is not interested in a cease fire. They are only interested in destroying Israel and killing Jews.
