Captured Gaza documents reveal that former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was informed about Tehran's limited response to Hamas' $500 million funding request. Documents published Sunday by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center further expose Sinwar's references to Qatar, his plans to create a diplomatic trap for Israel following Operation Guardian of the Walls, and Iran's partial fulfillment of the requested financial support. According to Israel Hayom, senior Iranian official Saeed Izadi declined Hamas' $500 million request, offering only limited assistance within Iran's capabilities.
In a letter to former political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, Sinwar addressed Hamas' request from Iran for financial support of $500 million over two years, which was revealed on January 30. According to him, only about 20% of the $75 million promised to Hamas arrived for rehabilitation and renovation operations. He warned that this could damage the "victory image." Sinwar also emphasized that only half of the total amount was intended to support residents and rehabilitation, with the second half going directly to the military wing.
Sinwar wrote to Haniyeh in June 2021, "As you know, the Iranians were amazed by Al-Qassam's performance in this campaign, and they expressed this in a letter they sent to you and us in Gaza. We thought to send them letters in our names, Abu Khalid (Mohammed al-Deif), Abu al-Baraa (Marwan Issa), and Abu Ibrahim (Yahya Sinwar). We prepared a letter for Iran's leader, Qaani, and Haj Ramadan (Saeed Izadi), requesting $20 million monthly for two years."
"The amount allocated to Gaza (75M) for reconstruction and rehabilitation, only 17M of that amount has arrived. A sum reached the brothers in the prisoners' portfolio, and a sum reached the Treasury office in Gaza. It seems that this amount that reached the prisoners and the Treasury is from the same account. According to what we understood, Brother Abu Akrama says he transferred everything he had, and we agreed with the brothers that of the 75M amount, half goes to Al-Qassam and half for aid to people and rehabilitation of lightly damaged houses, as well as renovating and rehabilitating our buildings and offices or rebuilding what was destroyed."
Following Operation Guardian of the Walls, Hamas assessed that new diplomatic opportunities had opened up. On June 20, 2021, Sinwar sent a letter to Haniyeh stating there was an "international understanding that Hamas has become the most important player in the arena, and even the Americans understand that it cannot be bypassed regarding regional issues."
Sinwar wanted to advance the framework he presented publicly in his speeches – a long-term ceasefire lasting five to ten years at most, in exchange for Israel withdrawing from the West Bank and east Jerusalem, dismantling all settlements in the West Bank, releasing all Palestinian prisoners, and lifting restrictions on Gaza. In this context, Sinwar wrote to Haniyeh, "This is a very strong card that Qatari diplomacy can maneuver with and use strongly within a series of contacts with the American administration and European countries, Russia, China, and others."
According to Sinwar, it was unlikely that Israel would agree to the framework, but this could lead to its isolation in the international arena, "This will place them in a position contrary to world public opinion, increasing their isolation and disconnection. Thus, one can rely on the strategic shift that has occurred in world public opinion in general and in American and European arenas in particular." Moreover, he assessed that even if Israel decided to move in this direction, it would lead to internal division and struggles, and even "a situation of confrontations, civil war, and complete political collapse, and the enemy's political map indicates this."
Meanwhile, the spoils documents show again the euphoria in the terrorist organization following Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021. According to Dr. Uri Roest, who signed the report, Hamas and its partners in the "resistance axis" expressed their sense of victory in Hamas documents captured in Gaza during the IDF maneuver in Operation Iron Swords. The documents included correspondence between senior movement officials who exchanged praise on the results of the campaign and also referred to expressions of satisfaction from Iran and Hezbollah. In a letter sent by Haniyeh to Sinwar on May 23, 2021, two days after the end of the campaign, he noted that the campaign ended in a "clear decision" and that it was a "heavenly and glorious victory."
