Tracing Hamas’ weapons supply chains as war with Israel stretches into second week

The Gaza-based terror group Hamas carried out the worst terror attacks in the history of Israel on Oct. 7 and now faces the Jewish state’s retaliaton.

Some in Israel are now calling for the group’s, which was founded in 1987 and designated a terror group by the United States in 1997 (with several European nations following suit), complete annihilation.

According to a 2021 State Department Report, the Islamic Republic of Iran “also provides up to $100 million annually in combined support to Palestinian terrorist groups, including Hamas.”

The Wall Street Journal claimed in a report last Sunday that Iran helped plot the deadly terror attack. Iran continues to deny any involvement.

And while the White House says there is currently no direct evidence that Iran was directly involved Hamas’ invasion, which killed more than 1400 people and saw another 199 taken hostages – there is still blame to be placed.

The relationship comes a mutual mission, said Jonathan Schanzer, vice president of Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, in an interview with The National Desk Monday.

“This mutual goal that Iran and Hamas have which is the destruction of state of Israel, and ultimately the unraveling of the American led world order,” he said.

Indeed, the Hamas Covenant of 1988 outlines these goals.

Still, Schanzer says there are additional ways Hamas gets support: including imposing high taxes on imports into Gaza from Egypt, and from parts and weapons from elsewhere in the world.

The Israeli Defense Forces recently showed the media just some of the weapons left behind by Hamas in Israel.

CNN reported some of those deadly assault weapons were built with easy to obtain parts and weapons from other adversaries, like a Soviet-built machine gun, and more weapons that “appear to be Russian or Chinese firearms, relics from previous wars that made their way into the hands of Hamas.”

But there is also evidence Hamas gets backing from two close U.S. allies Turkey and Qatar. While much of that aid of that goes directly to Gaza, experts say that still directly benefits Hamas.

“Number one is Qatar, the tiny gulf state where we have our largest airbase in the middle east where we’re fighting ISIS and Al Qaeda and other groups down the street from this base is a Hamas headquarters,” Schanzer said.

Source » kutv.com