[Bloomberg] Daniel Williams - Gaza's Hamas government is funding its bureaucracy and rocket-launchers through fees on license plates, birth certificates and the like; taxes on smuggled cigarettes and other items; and aid from Islamic and Arab allies. Cigarettes smuggled through tunnels are taxed at $3 a pack, increasing the price to $5. Hamas also charges a levy of $3,000 from each of 150 underground- tunnel operators. Hamas has also taken over sales of one thing that dune-abundant Gaza has plenty of - sand. Construction companies, which use sand for cement, used to harvest it free. Now, Hamas sells it.
2008-03-20 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive