Where does Hamas get its weapons?

Photos and videos on social media show thousands of missiles launched from Gaza to Israel, drones and grenades destroying tanks, Hamas militants armed with assault weapons and machine guns breaching the fenced boundary between Gaza and Israel. 

These images have led some congressional Republicans and social media users to question the provenance of Hamas’ arsenal and the militant group’s ability to attack Israel by surprise. Some claim that U.S. weapons are now in Hamas’ hands — weapons meant for Ukraine or left behind by U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

PolitiFact conducted advanced searches on Google and the Nexis database, spoke with six experts in military, terrorism and Middle Eastern affairs and the U.S. State Department and found no public confirmation that Hamas used U.S. weapons in the Oct. 7 attacks. However, experts told PolitiFact it is not inconceivable for Hamas to have U.S. weapons. 

Here’s what we know about where and how Hamas gets its weapons.