Hamas exploits aid to fund terror, intimidate civilians, proving Israel’s warnings tragically and repeatedly correct.
Security officials warn that Hamas is systematically exploiting the sharp rise in humanitarian aid entering Gaza to consolidate civilian control and finance terrorism, according to a report by Kan Reshet Bet.
Assessments indicate Hamas now dominates aid warehouses, distribution points, markets, taxation systems, and protection rackets imposed on local businesses. The revenues are being funneled into recruiting new operatives and rebuilding governance and enforcement mechanisms damaged during the war. Alongside this economic exploitation, Hamas has intensified abuse, intimidation, and repression of Gaza’s civilian population.
Israeli security officials stress that Hamas’s rapid rehabilitation of its civilian governance apparatus is as alarming as its remaining military capabilities. This reality underscores Israel’s long-standing position: unchecked aid does not weaken Hamas—it empowers it.
In response, Israel has begun revoking operating licenses from international organizations active in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria after some refused to submit employee lists or comply with legally mandated security registration. Following implementation of the process, the activities of 37 organizations were revoked. Officials emphasized these groups accounted for less than one percent of total wartime humanitarian aid, meaning overall aid levels remain unaffected.
The security establishment clarified that the registration system is based on clear professional and security criteria, presented in advance, and designed to protect humanitarian integrity from terror infiltration. Since the war began, dozens of terrorists operating under the cover of international organizations—using marked vehicles, aid warehouses, and civilian infrastructure—have been neutralized.
Investigations also revealed involvement of employees from Doctors Without Borders in terrorist activity. In June 2024, a rocket-array operative from Islamic Jihad, employed as a physiotherapist, was eliminated. In September, another employee was exposed as a Hamas sniper. In both cases, officials say full cooperation was withheld.
For Israel, the findings reaffirm a harsh truth ignored by Hamas apologists and sympathetic Arab actors alike: humanitarian aid without rigorous oversight becomes a weapon. Protecting civilians means stopping terror—not subsidizing it.
