TEL AVIV – President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt visited a cross-border Hamas terror tunnel on Sunday, and blasted the terrorist group for wasting funds on rockets and tunnels instead of alleviating Gaza’s crippling humanitarian crisis.
“Hamas wastes resources on tunnels & rockets to attack Israel, instead of helping the people of Gaza by getting the lights on, the water flowing & the economy growing,” he tweeted. “Hamas spews hateful rhetoric & foments a vicious cycle of violence. Gaza deserves better!”
Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories Yoav Mordechai, who accompanied Greenblatt, slammed Hamas for “investing funds in death tunnels and arms.”
Israel has discovered at least four terror tunnels in recent months, including one under the Keren Shalom crossing, which is used to transport more than five million tons of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Greenblatt last week met with the families of four Israelis who are being held captive by Hamas. Two of them, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, are thought to be alive, while the bodies of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul have been held since the 2014 war with Hamas.
“Today I again met with family members of Avera Mengistu & Hisham al-Sayed. Avera has been held by Hamas since he disappeared in Sept 2014. Hisham has been held by Hamas since he disappeared in April 2015. How reprehensible of Hamas to cause such horrible suffering,” Greenblatt tweeted.
The number of trucks bringing in humanitarian aid and goods has decreased by 50 percent in the past half year, an IDF officer said last month. The shortage was due to Hamas concentrating on resiphoning funds towards bolstering its military capabilities.
“A lack of money is not the problem in Gaza,” he said.
Following the discovery of the Keren Shalom tunnel, the IDF released a statement slamming the group.
“The Hamas terror organization repeatedly chooses to harm the welfare of Gaza residents,” the statement read.
“The terrorist organization Hamas is responsible for everything happening in and out of the Gaza Strip,” it continued.
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