Gaza Under Hamas: Governance, Economy, and Militarization
How Hamas took control of Gaza, governs political life, raises revenue, and builds military infrastructure and youth programs.
Category pages
- How Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007After winning the 2006 legislative election, Hamas fought Fatah forces and seized Gaza’s PA security installations and government buildings by June 14, 2007. The takeover left Hamas in control of Gaza while a separate PA administration operated from Ramallah.
- How Hamas governs Gaza and suppresses dissentHamas has ruled Gaza since 2007 without a new legislative election. In March 2019, its authorities arrested more than 1,000 people during protests against its rule, including journalists and human-rights workers documenting the crackdown.
- How Hamas raises revenue from Gaza trade and taxesHamas has raised money through taxes, fees, and control over businesses and imports. Published estimates describe these mechanisms, while aid for Gaza’s civilians cannot be treated as a direct payment to Hamas without evidence of a specific transfer or seizure.
- Hamas tunnels and evidence of military activity at civilian sitesHamas has used tunnels along the Egypt border to smuggle weapons and other goods. Separately, a UN Secretary-General’s report verified military use of a Gaza health center by Hamas’s Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades in 2023.
- The 2023 Ashdod seizure of rocket-related material bound for GazaIn July 2023, Israeli customs officials found 16 tons of ammonium chloride hidden in construction-plaster containers at Ashdod port. The shipment was bound for Gaza and was stopped before delivery.
- Hamas youth camps and military training for minorsA 2021 report on Hamas’s “Pioneers of Liberation” camp described children practicing military drills and simulating a soldier abduction. The camp activities document Hamas’s military programming for minors, not the recruitment status of every attendee.