Hamas's Sophisticated Media Empire

 A recent report by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC), based on Hamas documents seized by the IDF in Gaza, argues that Hamas maintains centralized managerial, financial, and strategic control over a broad media ecosystem, including outlets presented publicly as “independent” with a $2.24 mill budget

The report, published on February 22, 2026, draws from documents captured during military operations in Gaza and provides an unprecedented window into how the Palestinian terrorist organization coordinates its information warfare against Israel and the broader international community.

The Hybrid Media Model

At the heart of Hamas’s strategy lies what Israeli analysts term a “hybrid” media ecosystem—a deliberately constructed system designed to create the appearance of press diversity while maintaining absolute editorial control. According to the report, Hamas operates both official outlets like the Al-Resala media institution, the Al-Aqsa television network, and the Palestine newspaper, alongside news agencies Shehab and SAFA that publicly present themselves as independent journalistic organizations.

“This hybrid media system is not accidental,” the report states. “It is designed to allow Hamas to appear to advocate for media pluralism, while in fact it fully controls the media discourse.” This arrangement also provides the organization with diplomatic and operational flexibility, including the ability to circumvent sanctions and deny association with extreme content by attributing it to “independent” outlets.

The report adds that unofficial reports in late 2025 claimed Ali al-Amoudi was appointed acting head of Hamas’s political bureau in Gaza and was being discussed as a potential successor to Yahya Sinwar.

It traces his proximity to Sinwar back to their time in Israeli prison: al-Amoudi was arrested in 2004, released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange, and, according to the report, developed a close relationship with Sinwar while incarcerated. The report says al-Amoudi later served as Sinwar’s office manager during Sinwar’s first term leading Hamas’s political bureau in Gaza (2017–2021).

Detailed Strategic Blueprint: 25 Projects and $2.24 Million

Perhaps most revealing are captured documents outlining Hamas’s operational plan for 2022-2025, which breaks down the organization’s media strategy into 25 major projects with measurable goals, specific content quotas, assigned budgets, and detailed timelines. The plan’s total budget is listed as $2,240,660, funded through an approved budget of $1,131,160 and an additional overage/exceptional budget of $1,109,000.

The projects span two primary categories:

1.     Strengthening the Palestinian narrative and crafting media discourse directed at foreign/international audiences

2.     Strengthening psychological and media warfare against rivals and enemies, and conducting propaganda against the occupation, with support and protection 

The distribution reveals significant resource allocation toward public-facing propaganda, with 35 projects accounting for 266 activities budgeted at $1.04 million, compared to 12 internal projects budgeted at $1.2 million.