A “Free Gaza from Hamas” video intersperses its terror with evidence of plenty of food and merchandise as the government reported on Monday that Hamas still is blocking humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza residents.
The video is a twist on the pro-Hamas and anti-Israel “Free Gaza” movement and calls on the world to support freeing Gaza from the stranglehold of the Hamas terrorist party and army that has ruled Gaza since it wrested power from the rival Fatah faction three years ago.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (CoGAT) stated Monday that Hamas still is refusing to accept aid that was sent on the flotilla last week that tried to break through the Israeli sea embargo. Hamas spokesmen said accepting the aid would be admitting to Israeli’s sovereignty over the Gaza coast, as stipulated in the Oslo Accords and in the unilateral withdrawal of Jews and the IDF from the Gaza area five years ago.
The humanitarian aid was transferred from the Ashdod port, where the flotilla was led by the Israeli Navy, and then brought to the Kerem Shalom crossing, where it remains.
Hamas continues to prevent the transfer of the humanitarian aid which has been unloaded at the Kerem Shalom security crossing.
“So far, 30 trucks have been loaded with clothing, blankets, school bags, mattresses, baby safety seats, cupboards, and medical equipment such as motorized carts, wheel chairs, x-ray glasses, bandages, hospital beds and medications, as well as other goods,” CoGat said.
“Some of the medication brought by the flotilla has passed its expiration date by more than a year. Also found on the ships was fabric in camouflage colors, apparently meant for Hamas terror operatives.
However, Gaza is doing fine without the flotilla cargo. Since the beginning of the year, Israel has shipped through Gaza crossing nearly 22,000 tons of cooking oil, more than 89,000 tons of rice, fruit and vegetables, 110,000 tons of wheat, and 38,000 tons of meat, chicken and fish products. INN brings a weekly report of the cargo that goes into Gaza.
In addition, Gaza residents have received hundreds of tons of flour, dairy products, sugar and other food products, nearly 4,900 tons of medical equipment and medicine, nearly 600 tons of clothing and shows and more than 10,000 tons of cement.
Critics have falsely claimed that Israel is not letting any building material into Gaza. Building materials are closely supervised to prevent use for non civilian purposes. The flotilla brought tons of cement on its cargo ships, and Israel said it wanted safeguards that the material would not be used by Hamas to build cement bunkers and smuggling tunnels.
Millions of gallons of heavy duty diesel for the Gaza power stations and for cooking gas also have been transferred to Gaza by Israel.
In an effort to sustain the Gaza export industry, Israel has allowed 249,000 tons of carnations to leave the area as well as the export of power plant turbine and generators for maintenance work.
In the last week alone, ending on Saturday, Gaza residents received 484 truckloads, consisting of 12,413 tons of humanitarian aid and cement, not including the aid that Hamas has refused to accept.
In addition, 373 medical patients and escorts crossed from Gaza to Israeli hospitals and to Arab hospitals in Judea and Samaria for medical treatment.
During the same period, Egypt had sealed its border with Gaza, opening it only last week in a political move to weaken the image of Israel in the world following the flotilla clash.