One of the more contentious items of the last few years regarding the Gaza Strip has been whether or not construction materials like concrete were "war materials" the import of which were prevented by the Israeli blockade of the territory. For roughly eight years, Israel has had an arms blockade in place for Gaza. The Israeli navy stops ships heading for Gaza and searches them for weapons which are confiscated if found. Similarly, truck and other traffic entering Gaza from Israel is searched to prevent the importation of weapons and other war materials. Israel used to limit the importation of concrete, but a few years ago there was major pressure by the Obama administration to change that policy. Israel agreed to a change, and concrete and other construction materials were let into Gaza.
So what was the end result of that change? We now know that by far the biggest construction effort that Hamas undertook in Gaza was construction of a maze of underground tunnels which are used as bunkers for weapons storage and also avenues of attack against Israel. Some of these tunnels reach as far as a mile into Israeli territory before the come to the surface. A tunnel that long with concrete walls uses a huge amount of concrete. They are also prohibitively expensive. All that aid money that went to Gaza was used to build a tunnel system.
So we now know for sure what Hamas did with that aid money. What is the American response?
US Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Monday that the US is providing $47 million dollars in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The aid includes "an initial $15 million contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in response to UNRWA’s $60 million Gaza Flash Appeal," according to a statement released by the US State Department.
The remaining funds will go to USAID humanitarian projects in the Palestinian coastal enclave.
Are they kidding?
So what was the end result of that change? We now know that by far the biggest construction effort that Hamas undertook in Gaza was construction of a maze of underground tunnels which are used as bunkers for weapons storage and also avenues of attack against Israel. Some of these tunnels reach as far as a mile into Israeli territory before the come to the surface. A tunnel that long with concrete walls uses a huge amount of concrete. They are also prohibitively expensive. All that aid money that went to Gaza was used to build a tunnel system.
So we now know for sure what Hamas did with that aid money. What is the American response?
US Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Monday that the US is providing $47 million dollars in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The aid includes "an initial $15 million contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in response to UNRWA’s $60 million Gaza Flash Appeal," according to a statement released by the US State Department.
The remaining funds will go to USAID humanitarian projects in the Palestinian coastal enclave.
Are they kidding?
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