Hamas profiting from "Gaza charities" - and from Gazans fleeing to Europe

Palestine Press Agency reports that Hamas gets a cut from the Gazans who are desperate to flee Gaza to try to migrate to Europe.

According to their sources (which is in all likelihood Fatah) Hamas takes a cut of the money being paid to smugglers - about $750 for every person being smuggled out of Gaza through either the Rafah crossing or the remaining tunnels that Egypt has not yet destroyed.

The article says that the Rafah crossing is a "mafia" run by Hamas.

This would help explain Hamas' reluctance to give up control of the Rafah crossing to the PA.

Fatah officials are blaming Hamas for the deaths of many Gazans who drowned in their attempts to sail to Europe with these smugglers.

In addition, Fatah spokesman Ahmed Assaf said that that the Hamas leadership in Gaza has received $700 million so far from "charities" that collected money for Gazans throughout the world.

There had been many appeals for funds during the war, both within the Arab world and throughout Europe.

The fundraising was supposedly for families of "martyrs," children, women and elderly or for rebuilding what was destroyed, but Hamas is collecting this cash and there is no accountability on how  they are actually using it.