IRANIAN FINANCING FOR HAMAS?

S E C R E T JERUSALEM 000888 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MUSTAFA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2026 TAGS: PREL EFIN KPAL KWBG IR SUBJECT: IRANIAN FINANCING FOR HAMAS? Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) ConGen contacts in Fatah and the PA have not been able to confirm press reports that Iran pledged to provide USD 250 million in funding to the incoming Hamas government. However, our contacts do agree that Hamas is reaching out to countries such as Iran to obtain funding in the face of Israel's decision not to transfer clearance revenues to the PA. -------------- Fatah Revolutionary Council Member -------------- ¶2. (S) Fatah Revolutionary Council Member Mohammed al-Madani said that he believes Iran did in fact make the USD 250 million pledge during the recent Hamas visit to Tehran, but he could not confirm when the funds would be disbursed. Al-Madani said there are divisions within Hamas on the desirability of Iranian funding. He said that Hamas Deputy Political Chief Mousa Abu Marzouk, who the Associated Press quoted in a March 1 report as denying that the Iranians had specified an amount, is opposed to Iranian funding, which puts him in opposition to Khaled Mishaal. Abu Marzouk favors support coming from the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, even if Hamas has to compromise its political positions to receive such funding. Al-Madani said that his Gazan sources who have open channels with Hamas tell him that the issue has been repeatedly debated within Hamas. ¶3. (S) Al-Madani went on to say that Abu Marzouk heads a faction within Hamas advocating that the movement make the minimum changes to its policies necessary to receive external assistance. Al-Madani said that the March 1 remarks to the press by Abu Marzouk are in fact the public airing of an internal Hamas dispute. He also said that Abu Marzouk has been working with some Saudi officials to arrange for fatwas that would enable Hamas to moderate its political platform in preparation for the forming of a PA government. Abu Marzouk apparently believes that, if he is successful, he will move Hamas closer to Quartet conditions than to the Iranian terms. -------------- Former PLC Member Nabil Amre -------------- ¶4. (S) Former PLC member Nabil Amre suggested that Abu Mazen's February 18 speech addressed the Iranian funding issue specifically when the President warned Hamas and anyone else against striking alliances detrimental to the Palestinian cause. Amre said that he views the USD 250 million report as a serious one; however, he was unable to confirm whether a specific pledge of USD 250 million was made by Iran to Hamas. Amre also said that Fatah's experience prior to the creation of the PA with the Iranian regime suggests that the Iranians talk a lot and do little when it comes to financial support. He also said he doubted that Iran would be able to fund a Hamas-led PA for long. -------------- General Intelligence -------------- ¶5. (S) A senior member of General Intelligence (GI) told Pol Specialist March 1 that the PA is still verifying whether a specific pledge was actually made. However, he said that this report did not come as a surprise and was in line with reports GI had been gathering on the matter even before the elections. He said the GI believes that Iran had decided to earmark a certain proportion of its oil sales for Hamas in the event the movement needed further funding after the elections. He said that further meetings had been held between Khaled Mishaal and Iranian officials and more specific commitments were made by Iranian officials to extend financial support to Hamas. The GI officer said that his reading of the situation is that Hamas wants, at this point, to keep all of its options open, but he doubted that Iran would be able to transfer such large amounts of money into the West Bank or Gaza. WALLES