Zaher Jabarin, a Hamas official in charge of the prisoner affairs portfolio, attended on Thursday the funeral of the terror organization’s deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri – who considered him to be his right-hand man.
More stories:
Now, it remains to be seen whether Jabarin, seen as Hamas's economic mastermind, will step into the shoes of the "West Bank’s Mohammed Deif," as al-Arouri was previously called.
The Wall Street Journal wrote in a profile story on Jabarin, that in his youth in the 1980s, he led a Hamas cell and asked his mother for money to buy weapons. Now, he oversees an economic empire estimated by the United States to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, funding Hamas' terrorist activities.
Jabarin, 55, manages Hamas' financial ties with Iran. According to American and Israeli sources, he ensures the transfer of funds from Tehran to the Gaza Strip. He is also responsible for several companies that provide a steady income to Hamas and operates a network of private supporters and businessmen who funnel money to the terror organization.
Jabarin’s influence over Hamas’ finances is so significant that security officials in Israel and the United States believe he is the one enabling the organization to pay for weapons and soldiers, including for the execution of the October 7 attack.
Jabarin was close to al-Arouri, who was assassinated in Beirut on Tuesday. The two assisted in establishing Hamas's military wing in the West Bank and were considered to have close ties to Iran.
In Israel, there are concerns that even should Hamas's terror infrastructure in Gaza be destroyed, the organization's economic empire will remain intact. Over the years, despite sanctions, Jabarin has successfully utilized financial systems in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the UAE, Sudan, and recently in Turkey to establish companies and transfer funds to the Gaza Strip.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Hamas operates an office in Istanbul in a building with darkened windows overseen by Jabarin. He holds stakes in several companies, including those traded on the Turkish stock exchange. “It’s an honor to fund Hamas,” he said in an interview, but denied being responsible for the money transfer itself, stating, "It's an accusation, not a fact."
He also said that Hamas has connections with many countries, including Iran, Russia, Algeria, and Turkey. "The al-Qassam [Brigades] has its own ties, different from those of the political wing," he said, trying to distance himself from Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
Some in Israel said that Jabarin has maintained connections with individuals close to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who aided Hamas in obtaining weapons and funding. He also maintained ties with Hezbollah.
Jabarin, who grew up in Salfit in the West Bank, led the first intifada's youth brigade called "The Firing Squad" and was responsible for establishing Hamas’ influence in the West Bank. He is credited with recruiting Yahya Ayyash into Hamas’ ranks, who was involved in planning the abduction of Nissim Toledano and his subsequent murder.
He was also responsible for planning a series of terror attacks. Jabarin was arrested by the Shin Bet in 1993 and sentenced to life imprisonment and an additional 35 years. While in prison, he learned Hebrew, earned a degree, and began writing his book. Like Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, Jabarin was released from prison in 2011 as part of the release deal for Gilad Shalit.
Jabarin is in charge, as mentioned, of Hamas’ prisoner affairs portfolio, and in 2021, he was elected as the al-Arouri’s deputy in leading Hamas in the West Bank. According to Egyptian sources, both Jabarin and Sinwar have engaged in negotiations with Qatar and Egypt regarding a potential hostage release deal, which is currently paused.
Iran has transferred millions of dollars to Hamas in recent years, using a special financial system and recently utilizing cryptocurrency. According to American and Palestinian sources, the funds were routed via Beirut, Istanbul, and regional business centers before reaching Gaza.
Initially, Hamas's economic operations, mainly involving money laundering, were based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. From there, Hamas transferred tens of millions of dollars from Iran to its operations in Gaza. Due to American sanctions, Saudi Arabia ceased Hamas’ operations, and Jabarin found a new base in Turkey.
He received Turkish assistance in purchasing and leasing businesses and apartments, acquiring luxury cars, and using his position to fund terror attacks against Israelis. The United States imposed sanctions against him in 2019, saying he was the mind behind " a financial network that allowed Hamas to raise, invest and launder vast sums of money,” from Turkey.