"Hamas would rather let Palestinians starve than to have its power undermined", according to an IDF reservist who has recently returned from a tour of Gaza’s aid sites.
Michael Starr, who is also a correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, told the JC that he discovered that the terror groups “threatens” civilians to prevent them going to the distribution sites set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)
“Hamas has attacked the GHF multiple times,” he said. “It has launched rockets towards it, grenade attacks and [carried out] knifings.
"It has shot the Palestinian aid workers working with GHF. It has threatened people going to these sites.
“Hamas has included the removal of the GHF from Gaza as a condition in negotiations. It sees GHF and its aid programme as a threat to its goal.”
Starr claimed that this is because the group “doesn’t want to let the [humanitarian] projects become successful”, due to the risk that such success could weaken its hold over the civilian population.
"They would rather have Palestinians starve than to have their power undermined," he went on.
"If [Hamas] controls the aid... they control the populus and they can sell the aid and pay themselves and they can prevent the establishment of parallel governments."
Over the last several weeks, Israeli authorities claim to have facilitated a significant increase in the supply of aid entering the Strip.
Within days of the influx, food prices had fallen drastically. A kilogram of flour, which cost more than £20 in July, dropped to under £4, while a kilogram of sugar fell from around £60 to £10.
Addressing allegations from some aid organisations that Israel is deliberately starving Gazans, Starr claimed: "It's all part of Hamas' strategy. There is a reason they are drawing out aid and not letting people go to their aid sites.
"It works in their favour, and they can wage a propaganda war on Israel and put pressure on Israel. They hope they can bring the IDF to a halt through international peer pressure.”
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