Iran’s decades-long support for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad is complicating efforts to disarm Gaza’s terrorist groups and prevent another October 7-style attack.

By Hezy Laing

Disarming Hamas may be one of the greatest obstacles to securing a lasting end to the Gaza war. But the challenge extends beyond Gaza itself. Iran has spent decades supporting Palestinian terrorist organizations, providing funding, weapons, and training that have helped them build and maintain their military capabilities.

Iran’s continued backing of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) threatens efforts to end their armed campaigns against Israel. Statements by the groups’ leaders, he noted, offer little indication that they intend to abandon their weapons voluntarily.

Iran’s Investment in Palestinian Terror Groups

Iran’s support for Hamas and PIJ forms part of its broader strategy of building relationships with armed organizations across the Middle East. These groups provide Tehran with influence near Israel while enabling it to challenge Israeli security without relying exclusively on Iranian forces.

The US Treasury Department’s March 2026 National Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment documented Hamas’s reliance on multiple funding sources, including hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian state sponsorship. Treasury has also identified Iranian funding, weapons, and training for PIJ through Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

This assistance matters because disarmament involves more than collecting existing weapons. Unless funding networks and weapons supply routes are also addressed, armed groups could attempt to rebuild their capabilities after an agreement takes effect.

For Tehran, the loss of Hamas and PIJ as armed partners would represent a significant reduction in its ability to threaten Israel through allied organizations.

PIJ Signals Its Intention to Keep Fighting

In an October 8, 2026, analysis for the Gatestone Institute, veteran Palestinian affairs journalist Khaled Abu Toameh points to statements by PIJ Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhala marking the organization’s 39th anniversary and the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre.

Al-Nakhala reaffirmed the group’s commitment to what he called the path of “jihad and resistance,” declaring that the struggle would continue by all possible means. PIJ also praised Iran and other groups aligned with Tehran in the regional campaign against Israel.

These statements provide little evidence that PIJ is preparing to surrender its weapons or dismantle its military infrastructure. Instead, they underscore the gap between diplomatic efforts to stabilize Gaza and the stated intentions of armed organizations operating there.

Although PIJ and Hamas are separate organizations, both have received Iranian support. Their continued military activity therefore presents a challenge to any plan that seeks to prevent renewed attacks while leaving their underlying capabilities intact.

Disarmament Must Be Enforced

Hamas disarmament remains a separate but closely related challenge. Any credible arrangement would need to address weapons stockpiles, tunnels, weapons production, and the ability to obtain new arms. It would also require effective monitoring to ensure that commitments are implemented rather than simply announced.

Iran’s documented support makes preventing renewed weapons supplies an important part of that effort. However, Tehran’s strategic interest in preserving its allies should not be confused with proof that it controls every Hamas decision or has directly blocked a specific disarmament agreement.

For Israel, the central issue is whether Gaza’s armed groups will lose the practical ability to launch another October 7-style attack. A ceasefire may stop fighting temporarily, but without verifiable disarmament and safeguards against rearmament, the threat could remain.

As Abu Toameh’s analysis underscores, any lasting security arrangement must consider not only what Hamas promises, but also the military ambitions of its leaders and the outside support that could help them rebuild.