Hamas Wants More Bitcoin Donations, After Raising $2,500 the Last Time
Months after the initial plea for bitcoin donations, Hamas’ military wing Al-Qassam Brigades has once again sent an appeal to supporters urging them to provide financial aid via the cryptocurrency, per Arutz Sheva.
According to the Al-Qassam Brigades, this is part of the group’s already existing ‘Support the Resistance’ campaign. The fundamentalist organization has been dubbed a terrorist organization by the European Union, Israel and the United States.
The appeal for bitcoin donations comes at a time when Hamas is facing financial woes. Partly this is because the traditional channels through which it has received funding in the past have been blocked. In its previous plea broadcast via Telegram for financial donations, Hamas blamed Israel for this:
Israel is fighting the resistance by trying to cut off its support, but supporters of the resistance all over the world are fighting the Zionist attempts and are working to find alternative methods to support it. We call upon all supporters of the resistance and of our just cause to support it through Bitcoin, through means that we will announce soon.
Sources of Funds Drying up for Hamas?
The appeal is coming at a time when Hamas is bracing for even more cuts to its funding. Recently one of its biggest benefactors, Qatar, announced a new tougher approach. According to The Jerusalem Post, the wealthy Gulf State will, starting April, cut all funding to the fundamentalist organization. Instead, Qatar will direct those funds to humanitarian projects.
#Qatar’s break with #Hamas shakes up Mideast politics
Hamas, lest we forget, is classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization #FTO by the US Department of State, and its terrorist status was recently reiterated by the EU. https://t.co/7tJxQkwwI9— Wendy R. Acho (@Acho_Wendy) March 23, 2019
Between 2012 and 2018 it is estimated that Hamas received approximately $1.1 billion from Qatar.
