Fact check: Did the Israeli government give money to Hamas members where more moderate candidates were available in Gaza

1. Summary of the results

The evidence strongly indicates that the Israeli government did provide financial support to Hamas, both directly and indirectly, over multiple decades. This occurred through various mechanisms:

• Direct financial assistance to Hamas's precursor organization (Mujama Al-Islamiya) in the 1980s, confirmed by Brigadier General Yitzhak Segev ^[1]
• Recent facilitation of Qatari money transfers to Gaza, totaling billions of dollars over a decade under Netanyahu's government ^[2]
• Monthly payments that were officially designated for humanitarian purposes, though Israeli intelligence now believes some were diverted to military operations ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question omits several crucial contextual elements:

• Historical Evolution: The support began in the 1980s when Hamas was seen as a potential counterweight to the PLO ^[1]
• Strategic Motivations: Netanyahu explicitly stated that supporting Hamas was part of a deliberate strategy to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state ^[1]
• Recent Developments: The Mossad chief was still approving Qatari payments just weeks before the October 7th attacks ^[3]
• Official Acknowledgment: Multiple high-ranking Israeli officials have confirmed this support, including:
• Former PM Ehud Olmert admitted to actions that boosted Hamas while undermining the Palestinian Authority ^[1]
• Netanyahu himself publicly acknowledged this strategy in 2019 ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question's framing about "more moderate candidates" oversimplifies a complex political strategy:

• The support wasn't necessarily about choosing between moderate and extreme candidates, but rather about strategic political manipulation
• Netanyahu's government presented these payments as necessary for maintaining peace ^[2], while simultaneously using them as a tool to prevent Palestinian statehood ^[1]
• The humanitarian justification for these payments contrasts with their actual impact, as Israeli intelligence now believes they contributed to Hamas's military capabilities ^[2]

This situation benefited various parties:

• Netanyahu's political agenda of preventing a Palestinian state ^[1]
• Hamas's ability to maintain power and build military capabilities ^[2]
• The Israeli government's strategy of maintaining divided Palestinian leadership ^[1]