HAMAS APPROPRIATES 60% OF THE HUMANITARIAN AID

Israeli ministers urge pause for humanitarian aid as figures show 60% ends up with Hamas

"Even 10% of humanitarian aid reaching Hamas is very serious, so 60% is really bad," says a senior official involved in the matter. "It means that more than half the population in Gaza is still eating from Hamas' hand. This is an event that threatens the entire military achievement and the goal of collapsing Hamas."

 

By Yehuda Shlezinger  

 

Israel Hayom

Feb 6, 2024

 

 

Palestinians unload humanitarian aid from a truck that entered the Gaza strip through the Kerem Shalom border crossing on January 29, 2024 

 

The internal debate in the government over whether to allow humanitarian aid to Gaza has taken on a new intensity. Israel Hayom can reveal based on talks between military sources and political figures, that about 60% of the aid entering the strip eventually ends up with Hamas.

In Rafah, which has not yet been conquered by the IDF, Hamas controls all of the humanitarian aid entering the city.

In light of these figures, ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot from the State Party have suggested suspending humanitarian aid for a short period until an alternative mechanism to the current one can be established. Israel Hayom reported earlier this month that the government is working on a plan under which the IDF will provide humanitarian aid directly to Gazans rather than through agencies that deal with Hamas. 

"Even 10% of humanitarian aid reaching Hamas is very serious, so 60% is really bad," says a senior official involved in discussions. "It means that more than half the population in Gaza is still eating from Hamas' hand. This is an event that threatens the entire military achievement and the goal of collapsing Hamas."

Some in the cabinet have criticized the arrival of humanitarian aid to Hamas. According to those ministers, such a reality has emerged because the Israeli government is dragging its feet on making decisions about how to act on the ground right now.

In certain areas of the strip, they claim, Israel is already in the "day after." They note the lack of decision on how to govern the strip has been creating chaotic conditions on the ground, which Hamas exploits to control goods. This causes civilians to depend on it, allowing it to establish control over the area –  resulting in the loss of the gains Israel made during the ground maneuver.

An IDF spokesperson said in response: "The figure in question was not provided by IDF officers, as it is not known or supported by intelligence or operational information."