TEL AVIV – President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt slammed terror group Hamas on Sunday for using Iranian “blood money” for weapons against Israel instead of helping alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“Hamas should be improving the lives of those it purports to govern, but instead chooses to increase violence and cause misery for the people of Gaza. Imagine what the people of Gaza could do with the $100 million Iran gives Hamas annually that Hamas uses for weapons and tunnels to attack Israel!” Greenblatt tweeted.
He described the funds from Iran as “blood money.”
“Iran spends almost a billion dollars a year sponsoring terrorism in Lebanon, Israel and West Bank/Gaza. This blood money only increases violence and does nothing to help the Palestinian people.”
“The corrupt regime in Tehran squanders the resources of the Iranian people on military adventures throughout the region instead of investing at home and promoting peace abroad,” Greenblatt added.
“Hamas must also permit the repatriation of Hadar Goldin’s remains and the release of Oron Shaul, as well as the release of Israeli civilians – Avraham Abera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed and Juma Ibrahim Abu Ghanima,” he added.
Over the past week, Greenblatt has launched a campaign railing against Hamas for wasting funds on rockets and tunnels instead of alleviating Gaza’s crippling humanitarian crisis.
“Hamas literally undermines Gaza’s chance for success— now building a terror tunnel under a crossing to Israel that should be a conduit toward a better economy,” he wrote last Monday.
“A terror tunnel costs roughly $5.9 million to build ($ that belongs to the people of Gaza) plus roughly $30,000 a day in lost revenue when the crossing is closed as a result. Gaza needs options besides Hamas and its enablers. Time to stop pouring money into violence and hatred, and to start investing in a real future for Palestinians in Gaza,” added Greenblatt.
Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories Yoav Mordechai, who accompanied Greenblatt on a tour of the terror tunnels, 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 Kerem Shalom crossing, which is used to transport more than five million tons of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
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 Kerem 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.