While it relies on money from Iran and Qatar to survive, a Hamas spokesperson recently claimed that Hamas' leadership is independent and will not be expected to return political favors to external patrons, reports the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

Iran will not pressure Hamas to normalize ties with the Assad regime, for example, Sami Abu Zuhri said. His comments signal the terrorist group's growing confidence, despite its increasing reliance on state patrons.