After nearly two years of war with Israel, Hamas' military and political ability is severely weakened. Nevertheless, the extreme Islamist movement, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, has managed to continue paying its "publicly employed" with the help of a secret cash-based payment system.
The British media company BBC has spoken to three officials, employed by the Hamas-controlled government, who confirm that they have received the equivalent of up to 2,800 kronor each in the past week.
Survived an attack
An employee at Hamas' department for religious affairs, who does not want to give his name for security reasons, says he is afraid when he goes to collect his salary.
On several occasions, Israeli attacks have hit the pay distribution points. I survived one that targeted a busy market in Gaza City, he tells BBC.
Another employee says that the cash they receive is so worn out that it cannot be used:
I got 1,000 shekels in worn-out banknotes - no trader accepted them. After two and a half months of hunger, they pay us in worn-out cash, he says.
It is still unclear how Hamas manages to continue financing salary payments, considering that much of its administrative and financial infrastructure has been destroyed.
A senior Hamas employee, with insight into Hamas' economy, says that the group had stored around 700 million US dollars (approximately 6.7 billion kronor) and hundreds of millions of Israeli shekels in cash in underground tunnels before the group's terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.
These were monitored, according to reports, by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his brother Mohammed, both of whom have since been killed by Israeli forces.
Food packages for Hamas members
In addition to cash payments, Hamas has distributed food packages to its members and their families through local crisis committees whose leadership often rotates due to repeated Israeli attacks.
This has given rise to general anger, where many Gazans accuse Hamas of only providing aid to its supporters and not to the broader population.
Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid that has entered Gaza, something Hamas denies. Sources in Gaza have, however, told BBC that significant amounts of aid were taken by Hamas during the ceasefire earlier this year.
Nisrin Khalid, who alone takes care of her three children after her husband died of cancer five years ago, says that her neighbors, who are Hamas members, receive food packages and sacks of flour, while her children starve.
Are they not the cause of our suffering? she says to BBC.
