A stark strategic warning from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories was recently placed on the political echelon's table: The volume of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip is twice as high as necessary, and in effect serves as fuel for Hamas' continued rule and strengthening.
An internal document authored by Major General Yoram Halevi and revealed in Israel Hayom details that while the Gaza Strip needs approximately 250 trucks a day for basic humanitarian response, Israel allows the entry of 600 trucks - mainly due to commitments to ceasefire agreements.
According to the professional research conducted by the IDF in collaboration with intelligence agencies and international bodies, the "significant surpluses" created in the Gaza Strip are systematically exploited by Hamas.
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The document states: "Every truck crossing for humanitarian purposes actually strengthens Hamas," as the organization takes control of the goods, taxes local merchants, and hoards food in its warehouses.
These actions allow Hamas to maintain its civilian control over the population by creating economic dependency mechanisms and exclusive control over distribution and market mechanisms.
Beyond strengthening the regime, the document warns that the huge number of trucks makes it difficult for security forces to conduct quality inspections, which dramatically increases the risk of smuggling. The data shows that over 75% of the smuggled goods detected contained tobacco and cigarette products - a product of enormous economic value that Hamas uses to finance its activities. In addition, attempts to smuggle sensitive dual-use materials were detected.
