Daijiworld Media Network – Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv, Apr 7: In a major revelation, Israel on Sunday made public an intelligence document that allegedly establishes a direct financial and operational link between Hamas and Iran. The document reportedly outlines Hamas's request for a staggering $500 million from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force to support its plans including the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz shared the document and an accompanying video on social media platform X, claiming it was recovered from Hamas tunnels in Gaza during IDF operations. The document, Katz said, directly links Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif with Iran.
Katz stated that Hamas requested $20 million per month for two years to fund its operations aimed at ‘uprooting this monstrous entity’ and ‘ending this dark period’ referring to Israel. According to him, Hossein Akbari Izadi, head of the IRGC's Palestinian department, assured Hamas of Iran’s continued support despite economic difficulties.
Labeling Iran as ‘the head of the snake,’ Katz accused Tehran of operating a wide ‘axis of terror’ through its proxies across Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and Yemen. He vowed that Israel would continue its military efforts to dismantle this axis and prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The announcement comes during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing visit to the United States, where he is reportedly discussing Gaza operations, trade, and regional security with US President Donald Trump and other leaders.
Meanwhile, dissatisfaction with Hamas appears to be growing inside Gaza. According to reports cited by The Times of Israel, protests erupted in Jabalia with demonstrators chanting slogans such as “Hamas are terrorists” and “Hamas are garbage,” despite the group's reported attempts to crack down on dissent.
The October 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 251 hostages. As per Israeli authorities, 59 hostages remain in Gaza, 35 of whom are feared dead.