In recent weeks, claims of a famine and repeated pressure on Israel to provide food for people in the Gaza strip has led to the establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American-funded initiative that works alongside Israel to feed Gazans.

As the focus of world news shifted to the Iran-Israel conflict, TPS-IL spoke to experts and people on the ground to understand what is really happening with the food supply in Gaza.

“Hamas control aid, it’s one of their things. We see it all, Hamas act physically. This is not intelligence.” A member of Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), told TPS-IL. “…Hamas takes the aid in Gaza.”

COGAT works to get the food trucks into Gaza. GHF works alongside them, and many other security contractors to deliver meals, something the UN aid agencies are vocal in opposing, claiming that to work with Israel lacks ‘impartiality’.

GHF claims to have delivered more than 42 million meals to date, and continues to operate daily, despite having five of their volunteers murdered by Hamas while doing so.

One expert told TPS-IL that Hamas controls the strip with the aim of ensuring teenagers end up in their ranks. Dr Igal Shiri, who works at the counterterrorism institute Meir Amit, said: “Hamas completely control the area [the Gaza strip].

“Even though there is the massive attack, and you can see Aza is destroyed, with most of Gaza under bombing, they continue to control the civilians. They still control the area with aggression, even under attack.

“Every little bit of food – they stole it. When they get the food, they get the power. The young people in Gaza are not working.

“There is no school, no university, and they have no effective way to earn money, so Hamas has the power. They can pay children 15 shekels to do what they want.”

He went on to explain that the control starts with the food, but eventually infiltrates every aspect of life in Gaza: “It’s a problem because they still control Gaza, even after 18 months of war.

“The control is also based on the way of thinking of the people there. Since 2007, Hamas controlled the strip, everything is from therm, and the way they build.

“So basically the people are Hamas. They control the food first, then the money, but the people still think Hamas is the strong power, and that’s why it’s difficult to change the authority there.

“Someone in 2007 who was five, today his blood still belongs to Hamas, and he’s gotten their way of thinking from the mosque, the street, etc. For Hamas it’s really easy to recruit boys when they already think like they do.

“After 2007, 10,000 people joined Hamas. It’s really easy because they need money and they can pay them little. On top of the recruitment, they threw 500 people from the rooftops, so people are too scared not to join them.”

Image - MEMRI