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The IDF exposed yet another Hamas abuse of civilian resources in order to fund terror, at the expense of the residents of Gaza.
By: United with Israel Staff
A video posted by the head of the Coordination of Government Activities in theTerritories (COGAT), IDF Major General Yoav Mordechai, shows Hamas terrorists diverting precious electricity, intended for schools and hospitals, from civilians to terror operations.
In the video posted Sunday on COGAT’s Facebook page in Arabic, a member of Hamas can be seen climbing an electrical tower and installing a system to redirect the electric currents to the group’s terror infrastructure.
COGAT said that “since the terror organization Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, they have systematically attempted to exploit humanitarian assistance designated for civilian residents… Stealing humanitarian materials and taking advantage of aid programs to tighten their control over the population and expand their terrorist infrastructure poses a real and significant threat to Israel’s security.”
COGAT is the IDF unit responsible for implementing government policy in Judea and Samaria and vis-à-vis the Gaza Strip.
Just last week, Israel’s Ynet news site released a report detailing Hamas’ sale of preciously needed fuel, received through aid, on the black market to the highest bidder. The profits were then reinvested in terror operations.
In recent years, Hamas has spent millions of dollars, originally intended for humanitarian aid, to bolster its operations. Each terror tunnel constructed by the group costs approximately $3 million. In 2014 alone, during Operation Protective Edge, Israeli forces discovered and destroyed 32 of these tunnels, worth a total of $100 million.
Hamas’ Abuse and Misuse of Aid
The problem of Hamas putting the building of its terror infrastructure ahead of the welfare of Gaza’s residents is not new.
In January, President Donald Trump’s special Mideast envoy, Jason Greenblatt, toured the area surrounding the Gaza Strip and stated: “Hamas’ continued exploitation of the people of Gaza and Hamas’ threats to stability and security in the region.”
Greenblatt said the tour, which included a visit to a terror tunnel destroyed by the IDF, gave him “general insight into the current situation and greatly improved [his] understanding.”
“I strongly encourage all countries and institutional donors who are trying to assist the people of Gaza to take this tour to understand this difficult, tragic and complex situation,” he said, calling on them to work together to “help the people of Gaza, ensure Israel’s and Egypt’s security and improve lives.”
Greenblatt has been working with Israel on various projects and policy measures that would help residents in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
“I sincerely hope that the international community will commit to funding these measures according to development priorities and providing the necessary resources to bring them to fruition,” he said.
A few days earlier, Greenblatt tweeted that “Hamas literally undermines Gaza’s chance for success—building a terror tunnel under a crossing to Israel that should be a conduit toward a better economy.” He was referring to a recently exposed Hamas plot to blow up the Kerem Shalom crossing, a main economic artery into Gaza from Israel.
Greenblatt also noted that “a terror tunnel costs roughly $5.9 million to build ($ that belongs to the people of Gaza) plus roughly $30,000 a day in lost revenue when the crossing [between Israel and Gaza is closed as a result” of security threats.
“Gaza needs options besides Hamas and its enablers. Time to stop pouring money into violence and hatred, and to start investing in a real future for Palestinians in Gaza,” he tweeted.
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