Hamas’ (Mis)Use of Civilians

The Fellowship  |  March 6, 2019

This week, we have already told you about Hamas’ use of children’s bedrooms to hide the rockets they launch at Israel, yet another of the terror group’s nefarious tactics. And now, JNS’ Yaakov Lappin writes that as long as these terrorists rule Gaza, they will continue exploiting innocent civilians in order to further their campaign of violence and hatred:

Since seizing power in a 2007 violent coup, Hamas has developed a range of cynical ways to exploit civilians in the Gaza Strip to build up its military wing and promote lethal terrorist activities.

Within Gaza, around its borders, and away from it, Hamas’s military wing sends out tentacles disguised in civilian camouflage.

These tactics including importing equipment for its military build-up program, embedding rocket launchers in civilian neighborhoods, using human shields to protect its armed operatives, digging attack tunnels into Israel and exploiting civilian infrastructure needs for terrorist purposes. Hamas regularly exploits humanitarian efforts, designed to save Gazan lives, in order to enable terrorist atrocities designed to kill Israelis.

Hamas even exploits Gaza’s civilian mail service.

Israeli border-control officers from the Defense Ministry recently intercepted 11 packages containing dual-use equipment—items that can be used for both civilian purposes and terrorist activities. Security officers are especially vigilant to watch out for such items, which Hamas orders online and imports through the mail…

Hamas’s attempts to flood Gaza with dual-use equipment remains constant. In recent years, security officials that scan packages report finding chemicals that fuel rockets, generators for tunnel digging and drones. “Hamas is abusing Gaza’s postal service to build-up its military power,” a senior Israeli security official stated…