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UN cash app for Gazans exploited by Hamas as terror group steals aid money meant for civilians
Protesters in Gaza target Hamas
For the first time since Hamas seized power 18 years ago, Gazans are speaking out against Hamas at great personal risk, Fox News’ Mike Tobin reports.
United Nations agencies’ monthly cash transfers to Gaza residents are inadvertently strengthening the Hamas terrorist organization, as the group and affiliated traders continue to control the money flow to the enclave, an expert on Hamas’ financial and economic operations said.
«Hamas exploits its role as the de facto ruler of Gaza to extract financial gains from aid money sent by U.N. organizations to civilians via apps still operating in the region,» Eyal Ofer told Fox News Digital.
«The aid system is being manipulated by Hamas and affiliated traders. Hamas does this largely behind the scenes, leveraging their control over large merchants, crime families, and using cash to establish a shadow banking system within Gaza.»
HOW ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS TERRORISTS WILL BE DIFFERENT UNDER TRUMP
Gazans at a bazaar set up to meet their basic needs amidst the rubble in the heavily damaged Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on the 3rd day of Ramadan, after Israel halted humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, on March 3, 2025. (Mahmoud Issa/Anadolu via Getty Images))
Each month, international organizations send significant sums into Gaza’s economy. The U.N.’s World Food Programme (WFP) transfers approximately $18.43 million, reaching 82,636 families, with each family receiving an average of $209, according to open-source data. UNICEF’s monthly assistance averages $5 million, helping to reach at least 20,000 families every month.
«I go to the market and meet people whose job is to provide cash in exchange for a fee,» Gaza resident Shahab Yousef told Israel’s news agency TPS-IL. «The fee is 20–30%. If I transfer 1,000 shekels [$271] I get back 700 [$190],» he said. «For big purchases, I pay digitally. But at the market, I need cash, and I lose 30 percent every time.»
Another Gaza resident, Nidal Qawasmeh, expressed similar frustration to TPS-IL. «These people are charging 30 percent just to give you cash. I just want to take care of my family, but everything costs me more because of this. Prices are insane.»
The specific amount received per family every month is around $270 (or 1,000 New Israeli Shekels), which was calculated as 80% of the Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket, UNICEF told Fox News Digital. Smaller organizations like UNFPA and others also contribute, bringing the total to about $39.66 million per month, reaching 60% of Gaza’s households, according to open-source data.
A man holds a wad of Israeli shekels in Gaza. (Majdi Fathi/TPS)
Despite the scale of direct financial aid, which reaches over half of the enclave’s population, Gaza’s severe food insecurity and high inflation (91% and 118%, respectively, as of January 2024) underscore its importance. However, the way this money circulates within Gaza is far more complex. «Hamas controls much of the cash that enters Gaza through various channels,» Ofer told Fox News Digital, «People who receive money via mobile apps must convert it into cash to use in local markets, but this involves hefty fees, with many money changers tied to Hamas or its allies.»
TPS-IL reported that Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar recently warned that Hamas’s economic strength in Gaza relies on billions of shekels in cash, paid as salaries and quickly reclaimed through taxes on merchants. In a letter to Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron, Sa’ar urged the cancelation of the circulation of 200-shekel bills previously introduced into Gaza, saying that experts believe the move would severely damage Hamas’s financial network. The Bank of Israel rejected the proposal, citing technical reasons and claiming that implementation was not feasible.
Ofer’s research found that the fees can range from 20% to 35%, meaning recipients lose a significant portion of their aid just to access it. «In videos from Gaza, you can see traders refusing to accept app funds and forcing customers to convert them into cash, knowing they will lose at least 20% in the process,» he said.
Peter Gallo, an international lawyer and former Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) investigator at the U.N., told Fox News Digital, «If an investigator in Israel can figure it out, the aid agencies either knew or should have known. Twenty to thirty percent is just ridiculous. That’s extortion. It’s what some have politely described as a ‘revolutionary tax.’ In fairness, the aid agencies might argue they had no alternative, It is the cost of doing business, but it would have been better if they were honest about it from the start.»
HAMAS TERROR GROUP REPORTEDLY BUCKLING UNDER FINANCIAL STRAIN AMID ISRAELI MILITARY GAINS AND GROWING UNREST
Palestinians shop for food and clothes at the local bazaar as daily life continues in the shadow of war in Jabalia, Gaza, on January 15, 2024. (Photo by Mahmoud Shalha/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Photo by Mahmoud Shalha/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A spokesperson for UNICEF told Fox News Digital, «UNICEF is aware of the cash liquidity crisis in Gaza and the continuous shortage of hard cash, which is a direct consequence of the banking system’s inability to function amid the ongoing conflict.
«Since May 2024, UNICEF has introduced fully digital cash payments via e-wallets, which do not require hard cash at any point. By using e-wallets, recipients of humanitarian digital cash transfers can purchase goods such as food, hygiene items and medicine without ever handling physical money,» the spokesperson said.
«The use of digital e-wallets can be accessed through an app and works on the most basic smartphones. When implemented, these digital cash payments via e-wallets eliminate the need for cash conversion and, consequently, the payment of any fees. The UNICEF humanitarian digital cash program adheres to the highest standards of neutrality and impartiality. No external party, actor, or agency—not even the beneficiaries themselves—has any role or influence in the design or implementation of the program, including the composition of the beneficiary list, payment schedule, frequency and amounts.»
World Food Programme (WFP) aid at the Erez west crossing on the Israel-Gaza border. (IDF spokesman)
The spokesperson claimed: «More than 1.8 million people—close to the entire population of Gaza—are grappling with extreme food insecurity, with at least half of them being children. . . . Acute malnutrition among children is rising at alarming rates. The UNICEF humanitarian cash transfer program is, simply put, keeping children alive in the midst of a war not of their making by providing them with access to essential items for their survival. UNICEF’s monthly budget for humanitarian cash transfers in Gaza averages USD 5 million to support approximately 20,000 families. We estimate that these parameters are too small to significantly impact the local economy.»
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The World Food Programme didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.
«Turning a blind eye is not acceptable. The U.N. Security Council has been addressing terrorist financing since 2001, yet aid agencies continue to ignore the fact that Hamas is making a profit off this money flow, despite international efforts to stop terrorist financing,» Gallo said.
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Qué pasará si Estados Unidos lanza una invasión terrestre en Irán: analistas opinan y la respuesta no es buena
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FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., said an alleged Iranian state actor recently targeted him with a phishing scheme disguised as a television interview request, in what he described as an apparent effort to access his personal email account.
«A skilled impersonator created something appearing just like Newsmax to attempt to do an interview with me,» Fine told Fox News Digital in an interview, explaining that his staffer began interacting with the message in email, as the office normally does, before realizing «the links didn’t work.»
The phishing scheme was allegedly designed to gain access to his personal Google account, Fine explained.
TRUMP SAYS ‘WE’VE GOT OUR EYES ON’ IRANIAN SLEEPER CELLS IN US
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the last votes of the week on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The incident comes after President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iran in February, sparking an ongoing battle that the president has said will end in a matter of weeks as tensions continue flaring. The Trump administration argued Iran’s nuclear program and missile capabilities posed an urgent threat ahead of the U.S. and Israel launching joint strikes.
Fine said he did not «think the timing was coincidental» and that the alleged cyberattack occurred «literally the day after combat operations began.» The episode underscores heightened concern among U.S. intelligence officials about potential cyber and physical threats tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict, particularly against high-profile political figures.
The FBI confirmed earlier in March that an Iran-linked hacker group known as the «Handala Hack Team» breached Director Kash Patel’s personal email account. A bureau spokesperson said in a statement at the time that while the compromised information was «historical in nature» and contained no government data, the FBI had taken all «necessary steps to mitigate potential risks.»
According to Fine, he learned about the alleged cyberattack aimed at him when U.S. Capitol Police contacted him and said the outreach likely originated from an Iranian state actor.
Fox News Digital reviewed a copy of the correspondence, showing its email was spelled «news-max.org.»
Correspondence to Fine, also reviewed by Fox News Digital, confirmed that USCP said they had information that the outreach to Fine’s office could have originated from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and that the police wanted to set up a call with the FBI Cyber Task Force to further examine the matter.
DHS REMAINS UNFUNDED AS IRAN SLEEPER CELL FEARS SPIKE NATIONWIDE AMID SECURITY WARNINGS
FBI Director Kash Patel listens during the Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings on Capitol Hill Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
«They proactively reached out to us,» Fine said, adding that he then reported the incident to the FBI and was told by the bureau that agents were «familiar with these actors in Iran.»
The FBI declined to comment. A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that when the incident happened, the FBI was able to connect with Fine and opened an investigation into the matter. The status of the probe is publicly unknown.
Fine emphasized that he felt targeted by Iran and noted a broader surge in threats against him, including verbal threats and what he said was a recent separate incident of an impersonator approaching his home.
«I was clearly targeted. It wasn’t random,» Fine said, asserting that he was «the most visible Jewish Republican politician in America.»
A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed above a highway in Tehran. (AFP/Via Getty Images)
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Fine said that while he does not believe the alleged attackers could have gathered much information from his Google account based on his limited use of it, «the worst-case scenario is … they might be able to track my actual location,» which he said made him fear for his life.
Fine described the incident as «very stressful.»
Fine, a self-described «Hebrew Hammer» known for his staunchly pro-Israel positions, has advocated aggressive military action in Gaza and praised Trump’s joint offensives with Israel in Iran.
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Fine, in a statement shortly after the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, characterized the mission as one rooted in saving western civilization.
«We are with you, Mr. President. We will cut off the head of the snake of Muslim terror, Bring lasting peace to the Middle East, And save the Iranian People. Bombs away,» Fine said. «The Muslim terrorists that run Iran have just indiscriminately fired rockets not just at the Jews of Israel, but 700,000 Americans who live there, 180,000 Christians who live there, at the ‘Dome of the Rock,’ the third holiest site in Islam, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, site of Jesus’s crucification. We are fighting back against this evil.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsmax, Google and USCP on Tuesday for any additional comment.
iran, war with iran, fbi, congress
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Exclusive: Sara Netanyahu warns of surging antisemitism and importance of Jewish-Christian alliance
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EXCLUSIVE: Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned about the growing dangers of antisemitism and attempts to undermine the relationship between Christian and Jewish communities.
Her remarks followed her four-day visit to the U.S. for the «Be Best» First Ladies’ Summit, attending at the invitation of First Lady Melania Trump.
In exclusive comments to Fox News Digital, she said extremist elements on both the far left and right continue to promote antisemitism despite the historical record of where it leads and are seeking to undermine Israel and divide support within the Christian community.
«Israel has never had a prime minister like my husband, who during every visit to the United States makes it a point to meet with leaders of the Christian community, embrace them, listen to them, and maintain a close and genuine relationship as true partners and friends,» she told Fox News Digital.
CHRISTIAN PASTORS, INFLUENCERS JOIN 1,000-STRONG ISRAEL MISSION BACKING JEWISH STATE, FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM
Sara Netanyahu, giving a speech at the State Department in Washington D.C. in March 2026. (GPO)
«Their courage in standing firm against the enemies of Israel is worthy of appreciation. They are our [unofficial] ambassadors, and I hope our partnership will continue to grow and strengthen,» she added.
Netanyahu said that in July, Israel hosted the president’s close adviser and White House Faith Office head, Paula White-Cain, for a special event attended by both her and the prime minister, which was broadcast to millions of Christian viewers worldwide.
Following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, killing of 1,200 people in Israel, antisemitism surged globally, including in the U.S.
Sara Netanyahu was raised in Israel by her parents, Shmuel and Hava Ben-Artzi. Her father, a Bible scholar and educator, instilled in her an appreciation for the Jewish people’s historical connection to the land of Israel.
Pastor Paula White-Cain, spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump meets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara at Daystar’s «Together As One» event in Jerusalem, as part of a visit organized by Niv Jacobi, President of The Meaning Channel. (Felipe Volokita, The Meaning Channel.)
«The Holocaust was a moment in history that cannot and will not be repeated,» Netanyahu told Fox News Digital, against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S.-Israel military operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose leaders have repeatedly threatened to commit genocide against the Jewish state.
Post-Oct. 7 attacks include the May 2025 killing of two Israeli Embassy staff in Washington by Elias Rodriguez, who allegedly shouted «Free Palestine!» upon arrest, and a June attack by Mohamed Sabry Soliman that wounded 12 at a pro-Israel rally, later killing one victim.
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Incidents also rose after Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28, described by Netanyahu as a preemptive move against Iran and its terror proxies.
President Donald Trump (L) poses for a photo with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and his wife Sara Netanyahu during their meeting at Mar-a-Lago estate, in Palm Beach, Florida, United States on July 26, 2024. (Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO) / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Investigators said Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, accused of attempting a March 12 attack on a Michigan synagogue, was radicalized by Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, a federal probe last month found some faculty «legitimized and amplified antisemitism» during protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Encampments spread on campuses, often demanding divestment from Israel-linked institutions and Jewish organizations.
On March 20, the Trump administration sued Harvard, alleging it failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students and enabled antisemitism.
«We are in an existential war — a war of good versus evil — against a force that seeks to destroy Israel and the world,» she said.
«Leaders of the Iranian regime have publicly burned the flags of Israel and the United States. They have called Israel the ‘Little Satan’ and America the ‘Great Satan.’»
She continued, «Israel has never had a better friend than Donald Trump. Together with the [Israeli] prime minister, they are reshaping the Middle East and creating an opportunity for a new future for the entire free world,» she added.
Sara Netanyahu meet with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., at the U.S. Senate, March 2026. (Niv Jacobi )
During her U.S. visit, Netanyahu met with multiple first ladies, delivered a speech at the U.S. State Department, held talks with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., engaged with technology and AI companies and hosted a large meeting with parents of children serving in the Israel Defense Forces.
MELANIA TRUMP WELCOMES HUMANOID ROBOT TO WHITE HOUSE FOR HISTORIC AI SUMMIT
Netanyahu attended the «Be Best» First Ladies’ Summit, a global technology conference of first ladies hosted by Melania Trump, focused on expanding access to distance-learning technologies for children and teenagers.
Netanyahu, a child psychologist who works three times a week at the Jerusalem municipality, has immersed herself in the issue.
First Lady Melania Trump with Sara Netanyahu at The Be Best initiative in Washington D.C., March 2026. (Shmulik Almany )
The visit also carried economic implications, leading to expanded dialogue with Microsoft and Meta at the global level.
Netanyahu told Fox News Digital that companies expressed interest in advancing investments worth tens of millions of dollars to implement advanced AI models for remote learning among children and youth — particularly in Israel, where educational continuity has been disrupted by the security situation.
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«Israel is a leading country among advanced Western nations — in morality, values and certainly technology. Israeli innovation impacts people around the world every day in fields such as cybersecurity, fintech and agriculture. We contribute our knowledge and build strategic partnerships that bring Israel closer to its allies,» she said.
«There is strong appreciation for Israel worldwide, and when countries recognize our contributions, they choose partnership over extremism and hatred,» Netanyahu concluded.
anti semitism, israel, melania trump, national security, benjamin netanyahu
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