Hamas continues to seek innovative ways to loosen the financial noose around its neck, put in place by Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Over the years, Hamas’ ongoing financial crisis has only worsened, as the movement has found itself forced to shut down media institutions and executive offices and make cuts to its economic, military and social departments. Hamas is still struggling to pay the wages of its employees in the Gaza Strip. On April 14, after a four-month delay, the movement paid 40% of the employees' December wages.

An April 11 report by Israel’s Channel 12 has exposed a method Hamas allegedly uses to smuggle funds between the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and abroad. The report claims Hamas imports goods from abroad and resells them in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, keeping all the profits.

Reporter Ohad Hamo said he was tipped off by Palestinian and Israeli security officials that Israel detected over the past few weeks 10 containers carrying goods imported from China, Turkey and the Persian Gulf. The goods include clothing and toys, but officials suspect many other products are involved. Foreign traders and companies close to Hamas buy goods from those countries and import them to Hamas inside the Palestinian territories. When the goods are sold in Palestinian markets, the money is transferred to Hamas’ own treasury in Gaza and the West Bank. No specific names for the companies or traders involved have been provided.