Ever since Hamas violently overthrew Fatah in 2006 and seized control of Gaza, a clear pattern has emerged: Hamas provokes, Israel responds, and the same Arab states and organizations quietly profit.
Over seven rounds of conflict, all ignited by Hamas missile attacks on Israeli cities, the cycle repeated itself—airstrikes, destruction, global condemnation, and finally a ceasefire imposed by international pressure. But behind this repetitive script lies a far more cynical financial engine.
For Hamas, these conflicts were never only about ideology or resistance. They were about business.
The first motive was recruitment. Gaza is packed with competing terror factions, all vying for manpower. Each confrontation with Israel served as a flashy advertisement: “Join us, we’re the strongest.” In both Gaza and Judea and Samaria, we’ve seen terror groups literally fight at funerals over who gets to place their headband on a dead terrorist—because symbolism is currency in the terror marketplace.