"Israel did not pay Hamas directly out of its own state funds, but for years the Israeli government permitted Qatar to transfer approximately $30 to $35 million per month in cash into the Gaza Strip. [
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These funds—which were initially intended to cover civil servant salaries, fuel, and assistance to impoverished families in Gaza—required Israeli approval and security clearance to pass through the border. [
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The decade-long policy was part of a controversial strategy championed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The rationale was that maintaining basic economic stability in Gaza would "buy quiet" and keep Hamas focused on governance rather than armed conflict. It also served a political goal of maintaining a separation between Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank to prevent the establishment of a unified Palestinian state. [
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Following the October 7, 2023 attacks, this arrangement faced severe criticism. Critics and intelligence officials argue that because money is fungible, the cash infusions allowed Hamas to divert its own resources toward building an extensive military"