Gaza Fundraising Scandal Splits Hamas From Muslim Brotherhood Networks
A storm over missing Gaza donations is ripping through fundraising networks, as nearly $500 million raised in the Strip’s name is alleged to have vanished into Muslim Brotherhood-linked organizations. In his investigation for The Media Line, Waseem Abu Mahadi shows how the scandal has pushed Hamas to publicly disown some of its longtime charity partners in Turkey and Jordan.
A January 2024 Hamas statement naming Istanbul-based Waqf Al Umma and other groups marked a rare break with pro-Gaza advocacy networks. The movement accused the charities of exploiting outdated endorsements and collecting money through opaque structures, while Palestinians in Gaza watched some fundraisers grow rich as they remained under siege.
Give the gift of hope
We practice what we preach:
accurate, fearless journalism. But we can't do it alone.
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
Join us.
Support The Media Line. Save democracy.
Former insiders describe Waqf Al Umma as a fundraising machine that traded on Jerusalem’s sanctity and Gaza’s suffering while diverting donations into private accounts and real-estate schemes. With no audited statements and no formal investigations, sums rumored to reach $500 million remain unverifiable, yet analysts say even cautious estimates point to vast, untracked flows.
For Gaza residents, the damage is not abstract. Political researcher Mansour Abo Kareem tells The Media Line that trust in overseas fundraisers has collapsed, while Istanbul-based analyst Reham Owda warns that scandals like this erode public faith in genuine NGOs and “kill the spirit of volunteerism and humanitarian work.”
The controversy also exposes competition between Hamas and wider Muslim Brotherhood networks for control of the Gaza cause, donors, and political leverage. Internal Hamas committees promise tighter oversight, but with groups like Waqf Al Umma still active and denying wrongdoing, Abu Mahadi’s full report is a must-read for anyone following where Gaza’s money goes — and why so little reaches the people in whose name it is raised.
