#Ill Gotten Gains

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

By Dan De Luce and Lisa Cavazuti

The unemployment rate in Gaza is 47% and more than 80% of its population lives in poverty, according to the United Nations. Hamas, however, has funded an armed force of thousands equipped with rockets and drones and built a vast web of tunnels under Gaza. Estimates of its annual military budget range from $100 million to $350 million, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources. 

As the U.S. House and Senate will be asking in separate hearings Wednesday and Thursday, where does all that cash come from?

Since coming to power in the Gaza Strip 17 years ago, Hamas has filled its coffers with hundreds of millions in international aid, overt and covert injections of cash from Iran and other ideological partners, as well as cryptocurrency, taxes, extortion and smuggling, according to current and former U.S. officials and regional experts.

Much of the money is public and legal, including large sums of financial aid from Qatar via the United Nations, an arrangement encouraged and approved by Israel. The Qatari aid covers the salaries of civil servants, buys fuel for the power grid and provides cash to needy families.

Some of it is less than legal, according to experts. In addition to levying taxes on Gaza’s businesses and residents, Hamas imposes unofficial fees on smuggled goods and other activity, for a combined income of up to $450 million per year. Hamas also has real estate and other investments around the globe, despite international restrictions, and uses cryptocurrency to mask some of its transactions.

Some of it may be fully illegal. A small portion of its budget seems to come from smuggling in South America, including drug smuggling.

Experts, enemies and Western governments have questioned whether Hamas mingles the money for its military operations with money meant for civilian use. Hamas could not be reached for comment. But Hamas representatives have said previously that the group strictly separates funding for the administration of Gaza from funding for its military wing, also known as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

In the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,400 people, some former Treasury Department officials and experts argue that the United States and its European allies need to crack down on the group’s global financial network.

[ridenwithbiden]

[a-life-revised]

We’re curious about it, so: Magic anon until the mun decides they’ve had enough, Prince Megatron! You’ve mentioned that Galvatron is his mother, so let’s see how it works out :>

His first, and earliest memories are always of Galvatron, his carrier.

If he tries hard enough, he remembers her servos, so big, holding him up to her chassis, and her spark, so loud in his audials. How he had instinctively known her, in that moment, the care and comfort of being held by someone who he knew would protect him with ease.

The sands are harsh, and in a way, too, so is she. As he grew, they trained, and she matched him step for step, until his confidence grew, until he could match her, with bright, sharp, attentive optics.

Sword training with Cyclonus. Meditation. Coming back down, cooling off- he learned how to stay his temper, for the most part, to keep an even face in certain situations, how to step lightly against his larger frame build. How to move where he needed to in the least amount of steps.

And Scourge taught him what Cyclonus and Galvatron could not. The art of stealth came not easily to him, and here, often, he found himself frustrated. Although Cyclonus had taught him how to walk softly, it weren't easy for a mech his size to go unnoticed. Scourge taught him another way.

To blend in, one must be known. Amongst the people who know you, you become one of them. The crowds will blur you, the more familiar you are, until you are lost in the pattern of everyone else. By surrounding yourself with allies, you are hidden. And so he practiced, in the marketplaces, trading caravans, made friendly with their people.

The Prince of Chaar was well loved and well known by the time he'd come into his own. He stood, at least, a minibot or two taller than Galvatron, now- a danger in his own right.

..and, perhaps, a troublemaker, too, as he scampers off with the snacks he found in Galvatron's room.

[froody]

a loan was never an option

[skunkes]

.

denying so hard that there's a disconnect between what im learning within art, and other skills needed but it's undeniable that like. ill draw anatomy studies and faces all day but when i try to Make Something Else, Something Real, it's like all the information leaves me....

i always joke that ill be stuck on the foundations and fundamentals of art forever but it seems like its real because mechanical skill and comprehension of Structure is very much a different thing than. being able to connect a head and body in a streamlined way. good stylization. informed stylization. creativity. knowledge of composition, color and what makes a piece work.

i keep trying to make things and realize i still need more time in the fundamentals. more and more and its never enough....and then i forget em constantly !

[unpretty]

Hey there! You’re a humble bundle affiliate right? Can you post your code for this bundle possibly?

if you mean the cozy one, it's https://www.humblebundle.com/games/cozy-games?partner=unpretty

or you can just add ?partner=unpretty to any humble bundle link to give me money if that's something you want to do

[that-jack-kline-bestie]

so fucking upset. i looked up what's considered concerning weight loss and got a statistic. i looked up the same question but specified teens and i got a bunch of articles about how to lose weight. what the fuck

[clonerightsagenda]

Fucked up how much of your brain is Chemicals.... was just thinking 'huh I haven't had a really bad night lying awake contemplating death recently' and then remembered I finished my course of suicidal ideation-inducing meds.

[sapphicgren]

it is so sad/funny to me that there are folks on this hellsite unironically making stuff up about asoiaf to hate on. get on my level and be locked in pvp combat with george every time you crack open one of his accursed tomes. read another book that isn't harry potter

[concerningwolves]

I enjoyed the first enola holmes film but the second one has been overshadowed by the fact that Mira Troy "Moriarty" was uh. Not Wrong. Few things make me sadder than the "villain is correct about the injustices that led them to villainy, but also villain did crime so they Are Wrong about everything actually." :(

[comet-wire]

Please read before following!!

Edit Jan 14,2023: I would appreciate it if you could like this post so I know people are reading it, it's not required but it would REALLY help a lot. Thank you.

Heya! The name's Val/Comet, please check out my carrd for information about the admin as well as links to other socials and other names and pronouns I go by!

There are also Spotify playlists for my OCs and my pets, some are still in the works but the ones that have been made are already up. I may not post allot about my OCs on Tumblr but I have more information on my Instagram!

My other socials are listed in carrd aswell as my DNI and comforts list. Along with resources to help others and for mental health.

My mini ARG for my OC series (Cupid daze) and the start of my comic Horror Comedy Passion project (Sweet tooth bats) is in my carrd, but I have also linked it separately in my Cupid Daze and Sweet tooth bats section below in this post, respectively.

Cupid Daze blog: @cupid-daze

Sweet Tooth Bats archive blog: @sweet-tooth-bats

Carrd located here.

Please read before interacting!!

If you want to support me and my art, Instagram is where I post my OC art the most! But I also post here when I can and over at @cupid-daze

Read my comic, Sweet Tooth Bats on comic fury!

(Edit:Also I am a young adult! But I can't put my age up at the moment because bots like to terrorize me the most, I think they think I'm one of them but I'm not and I'm terrified 😟 I find when I don't put my age in my bio,they don't come after me)

IMPORTANT MESSAGE BELOW

Edit Nov 2nd 2022: Reminder for new and old followers alike, I am a person just like everyone else and I have a tendency to disappear and reappear with actual content that are not reblogs. I want to say this because I am a retired cosplayer (I want to cosplay again at some point but not right now so I'm considerably retired) and I know what it's like to feel like I have to dish out content every day or every other day, I will not be doing this with my art as I just post things that are finished or somewhat finished, I think are fun/funny and are relating to my interests. I also say this because this year has been particularly hard for me for personal reasons regarding loosing loved ones and subjects such as loosing motivation, suddenly gaining motivation, and then loosing it all over again which often coincides with depression etc. Not to sound like a broken record but again I have a tendency to disappear off social media (usually to focus on myself and other instances) and I am a young adult, I do not post super mature things outside of horror etc, but I do ask for younger followers to not be weird about things it puts both of us in potential danger and this goes for other content creators outside of me as well. I mention this because when I cosplayed I got simp comments every now and again for the character I was cosplaying and that is super uncomfortable especially if that is from anyone under 17-18,and I just wish for that not to repeat if I do cosplay again and/or with any of my art as I have OCs that are considered attractive (ex: Valentina Valentine, who is an asexual and her whole character revolves around wanting to be seen more as a person than an object; so it will make me super if not violently uncomfortable if I get super s3xual comments about her). I also just want this blog to be an overall safe space for people of color and/or LGBTQ community, including furrys but excluding z00philes and so on.

Please and thank you. I am wishing everyone the best and please stay hydrated and eat when you are able to! Get rest as well! Be safe and take care dears!

Edit Jan 14,2023: Also I want to say again this is a safe space for everyone except problematics/proshippers etc.

I want to also add that if you cannot respect my boundaries as a person and creator, and not only just mine but others aswell, I will ask you to leave or if you were to hypothetically continue harassing anyone or just being overall not respectful to one another that will not be tolerated and you will be blocked.

I do not mean to come off as unpleasant but I want people to be aware. Thank you for understanding.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Extra/Masterlist:

Mel/Moth-Moments <3

Mel arrives

Theories with Mel:The Owl House

Waking up in Ohio

Bacon Bacon Bacon

Soup

LUIGIANA

The Jong™

Glitch in the Splatoon plaza

YOINKY SPLOINKY

Mel/Moths art!!

Mel's OCs:The Owl House;Indigo Nypan

Mel's OCs:Kirin and Ryu!

Mel's art:Us!!

Mortal Afterlife:Cover art

Mel/Moths OC: Dante

Mel/Moths OCs: Indie and Leaf - TOH

Cupid Daze

Mini ARG

Cupid Daze Blog

Valentina and her Borzoi

Portfolio idea & Ramblings

Cupid Daze official blog pinned post

Portfolio/Index

Voice Claims:pt 1

Fuck it we ball(ft. Old art)

Young Valentina Valentine

Sweet Tooth Bats (Comic)

Official/Archive blog- Sweet tooth bats

UPDATE - COMIC FURY

Concepts and Reference sheet:Kevin/Kirby, Ripley, Salem (art)

Kirby/Kevin - inspiration and influence

Kirby the jester - art & reference

Salem Cynfael - outfit idea (art)

Jester harassment - doodle

Prologue: A vampires tears... - cover art

Holly the Joval - art -Kirby lore

Promo art/posters so far

Mornings with the trio - art/video

Hello puppets muse AU by Handeemuse

Muse-sona ref

Muse Jr ft. Muse-sona ref

Muse & Nick Nack interactions/art:

Height difference

Silly art discussions

Muse carrying Nick

Muse Jr made art for Nick

Hello Puppets!

Figuring out Owen Gubberson (Rough sketches/art)

Nick and Riley's dynamic moment

Canon Mortimer slander

This puppet is such a _ person

Nick and Riley are Tumblr sexyman/woman material

More Owen rough sketching

Riley Ruckus autism supremacy

Daisy Danger our beloved!

Post midnight show Riley Ruckus doodles ft. Sasha

Riley's Hair

Canon Cereal box art by Buglii-muligans

Headcanon's: Rivalry

Owen is exhausted (Video)

Riley's biggest mammal list

Riley Head pats

Self insert & Riley Ruckus: Self indulgence/AU

Sona & Riley mini ref

Riley with a big hoodie!! Ft. Nick

Lab Assistant AU + ref

Sofia the first

Skrunkly and his bean bowl

Spooky Month

New favorite Streber image

Pronunciation of 'Streber'

Streber headcanon & fanart

HCS & rambling - Streber and Kevin watch school for vampires

Vampire kid - ramblings

Tf2

"You got games on yo phone" - Scout

Ramble: spy crabs r sillies

THE SILLY - Scout GIF

Baseball and Botany - Art

Art dump + Video/animation: Baseball and Botany

Deltarune/Undertale

Cat Spamton ramblings

Spamton was eating toothpaste ft. Mel

The Walten Files

Boozoo is just some guy

Brawl Stars

New brawler's!:Chester, Mandy & Gray

Resident Evil

Alcina laughs at cheesed to meet you jokes

Pokemon

SUBMAS: incorrect quotes (long post)

Me when submas

[meowww-ffxiv]

Literally hadn't gotten off the island since I resubbed except to craft something for friends.

Meowdred in hermitage.

[salsflore]

did i just. get insulted by my irls

[batsarebetterthanpeople]

Ok but like literally Jack is more of a sympathetic character than Izzy and it's so weird to me when people act like it's the other way around. You're never once given a moment where you're meant to sympathize with Izzy not a crumb of exposition not a moment where he's in the right not a second where he's likable the whole time you are encouraged to laugh at him or to find his behavior disgusting. Meanwhile Jack barely got 15 minutes of screen time most of which was dedicated to painting him as a total asshole and at least one of which was dedicated to his cowboy stand off with a fucking bird and yet we get his whole tragic backstory and get told that he's insecure and has a lot in common with Stede and we get him being friendly with the crew.

Like we're not encouraged to sympathize with either character and it's cool to not like Jack but don't pretend like Wile E. Coyote but make it homoerotic and sprinkle in some bigotry is somehow more sympathetic than a guy we're told has hidden depth. Izzy doesn't have the fuckin range and we all know it and I feel like people pretending he does is some elaborate prank. Show me where any other character has so much as a compliment for him I'll fuckin wait.

Also Jack is exactly as sympathetic as you have estimated he is. It's Izzy we're collectively overestimating. You're supposed to hate Jack. You are also, get this, supposed to hate Izzy, because he's not sympathetic and you have to Reach to find something.

[pegassi-toreador]

Coil Brawler

[milfglupshitto]

fulfilling my masculine urge to hunt and provide by walking quickly across the dorm in socks and slides to steal toilet paper from the communal bathrooms so I can restock the one I share with my roommates