The crisis stems primarily from uncertainty over the continued financial support from Iran, the group's main backer, in the wake of the broader war with Israel. Sources say salaries are now being paid irregularly, sometimes only after 70 or even 100 days.

The amounts have also been slashed—from $300 at most in the past, to just $150 today, and sometimes as little as 45% of the original pay.

The report links the financial woes directly to the Israel-Iran conflict, which has made transferring funds to Gaza increasingly difficult. Iran itself is under extreme financial strain due to the war, with critical economic infrastructure damaged. A source said, “Funding may slow down soon—Tehran will need a long time to recover. This has a direct impact on us.”

The crisis also affects the group’s Syria branch, which has failed to pay fighters and can no longer fund even basic activities, such as mourning tents for members recently killed in Lebanon. The situation worsened when Syria’s new regime recently arrested several senior Islamic Jihad officials, including its commander in Syria, Khaled Khaled. This has severely limited the group’s ability to operate and move money in Syria.

Despite the mounting pressure, group officials insist that collapse is not imminent. “There are still some resources inside Gaza and abroad,” one said, “but there are growing restrictions on how and where we can use them—even within Gaza.”