Cars were imported to Gaza legally this week for the first time since Hamas seized control of the region in 2007. Twenty cars entered Gaza on Monday morning, and another 40 will be allowed in over the course of the upcoming weeks.
Israel was willing to allow the imported vehicles to enter Gaza months ago, but the car transfer was delayed by a dispute between Hamas and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. Both organizations insisted that taxes paid on the cars be paid to them.
The two groups recently resolved the issue, allowing the vehicles to proceed to Gaza. The resolution raised suspicions that the PA may have agreed to split profits from the vehicles with Hamas – meaning that Israel's attempt to ease life for Gaza Arabs would enrich a terrorist group dedicated to Israel's destruction.
An IDF official who spoke with Arutz Sheva's Hebrew-language news service was unable to dispel those suspicions. “We work exclusively with the PA. They coordinate with Hamas on their own, but that's not our affair,” he said when asked about the possibility that Hamas would profit from the vehicle transfer.
“Let's be honest,” he added, “It's obvious that Hamas is in control over what enters Gaza and what doesn't, but we only work with the PA in Ramallah.”
Concerns that Hamas will profit off the new goods entering Gaza were increased by a report last week in the Abu Dhabi paper The National. Gaza Arabs told the paper that Hamas profits off of humanitarian assistance by confiscating donated medicines, selling them, and pocketing the money.
After the Hamas takeover of Gaza, Israel closed its Gaza crossings and allowed only humanitarian aid to enter. Egypt did the same on its border. However, in recent months both countries have relaxed their policy, with Israel allowing imports of all kinds of goods – with the exception of weapons and dual-purpose items – to Gaza via its crossings, while Egypt has allowed for some civilian traffic along its border.
Hamas and other Gaza organizations have established a network of tunnels along the Egyptian border. The tunnels are used to bring a variety of weapons and black market goods into the area – including entire cars - which Hamas taxes.