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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100725/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgazahamaseconomy
Hamas Thrives in Gaza's "Besieged" Economy
(AFP) Mai Yaghi - The seaside Garden Resort beach club in Gaza City, owned and operated by the Islamic Foundation, a charity established to aid poor families and orphans, is one of several commercial ventures recently launched by groups and individuals linked to Hamas. Just down the beach another Hamas-linked charity has established the Freedom Resort, which includes a new $250,000 wedding hall. Hamas is widely believed to be behind a new shopping mall that opened in Gaza City with a ceremony attended by several Hamas ministers. Hamas also played a direct role in the Bisan City tourist village which includes gardens, playgrounds, football fields, a petting zoo and restaurants. It attracts some 6,000 people every weekend, many of whom are brought in on government-subsidized buses. The high-end beach resorts have proven popular, but many wonder how Hamas-linked groups can build new facilities when thousands of homes severely damaged or destroyed during the 2009 war remain in ruins.