While Israel permits cement and other building supplies to enter Gaza, it appears Hamas has taken over warehouses where these supplies are kept and the terrorist regime is using the cement for the construction of terror tunnels.

IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Major-General Yoav Mordechai, in an interview with the PA (Palestinian Authority) Maan News Agency marking a year since the end of Operation Protective Edge, explained the construction materials intended to rehabilitate Gaza are being used by Hamas.

“Hamas activists have forcibly taken over building supply storehouses and the materials were confiscated for use in the terrorist regime’s tunnel network or in non-military Hebrew, Hamas is in control of the cement and wooden planks that Israel permits into Gaza as it rebuilds its network of tunnels”.

Mordechai announced that since the end of the war until today, 1,700,000 tons of building materials have been imported into Gaza but this does not detail how much is now in Hamas control. He blames Hamas for the delay in the rebuilding of Gaza.

Mordechai issued a denial amid reports the government is conducting behind-the-scene talks with the terrorist regime via an intermediary, former Quartet Mideast Envoy Tony Blair. He emphasized Israel only maintains contact with the PA “and no other Palestinian entities”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)