Hamas’ refusal to release the remaining hostages has had dire consequences for Gaza. The resumption of Israeli airstrikes against terror targets is but one result. Israel has also halted aid deliveries; 25,000 trucks had entered Gaza in the weeks before the ceasefire collapsed.
This decision has triggered international condemnation, with many blaming Israel’s aid blockade for Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis. But these accusations overlook a far more urgent and fundamental problem: aid to Gaza rarely reaches the civilian populations who need it. Instead, Hamas seizes these supplies, hoarding them for fighters or selling them on the black market.
For years, governments have irresponsibly funneled aid into Gaza without ensuring proper oversight, thereby enabling this corruption to thrive. Detailed reports have consistently documented Hamas’ serial exploitation of aid. Most recently, freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi provided harrowing confirmation. Earlier this month, Sharabi addressed the United Nations Security Council, describing how Hamas militants stole humanitarian aid marked with UN and UNRWA logos while he was chained underground and starved. While Hamas “ate like kings,” Sharabi and other captives survived on minimal rations of pita and tea.
Accountability for this shameful and unacceptable state of affairs must rest with world governments, which have irresponsibly supplied aid for decades and enabled large-scale diversion. Hamas’ systematic commandeering of humanitarian aid has been an open secret since the terror group forcibly seized power in Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, and controlling aid has contributed to Hamas’ power for nearly two decades.
As the current war continues, it is time for the international community—which donates billions of taxpayer dollars to Gaza each year—to stop this dangerous and corrupt pattern. They must implement significant reforms to ensure that any future aid entering Gaza directly benefits those who genuinely need it, rather than empowering those who perpetuate violence.
The reckoning needs to happen now as the scale of anticipated funding to Gaza from donor governments is immense. Estimates suggest that the reconstruction of Gaza will require at least $53 billion over the next decade, with $20 billion needed in the first three years alone. This is in addition to the $4 billion requested by the United Nations for emergency humanitarian aid to Palestinians in 2025. With such vast sums at stake, accountability and transparency in the distribution of aid are not just logistical necessities but moral imperatives. Without proper oversight, there is a serious risk that this funding will reinforce corruption, empower terror groups, and prolong the suffering of innocent civilians.
The first step toward a meaningful solution is for donor governments to break the cycle of aid diversion that has plagued Gaza for years. If the world continues to turn a blind eye to these practices, it is not just negligence—it’s complicity. Aid cannot simply be sent blindly or with the hope that it reaches those in need; it must be accompanied by strict enforcement mechanisms that guarantee proper distribution.
Another major component of reform must involve robust oversight of humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza. The past has shown that certain NGOs and UN agencies either lack the ability or the willingness to prevent their resources from being exploited by Hamas. Governments that provide aid should implement strict vetting procedures to ensure that no funding goes to organizations linked to terrorism. Furthermore, there must be independent audits and monitoring processes in place to track where aid goes, how it is used, and the activities of the organizations carrying out the aid. Transparency must be non-negotiable—without it, some aid agencies and NGOs will continue to be conduits for terror financing.
Additionally, the framework of aid distribution needs a complete overhaul. Donor countries involved in the eventual rebuilding of Gaza should establish networks committed to being free from the influence and control of terror groups. This must include working with vetted local organizations and regional partners that have no ties to extremism.
Finally, long-term stability in Gaza also requires a structural shift in the governance of the enclave. The international community cannot keep sending billions of dollars into a territory where a thuggish terrorist organization remains in power. Aid must be conditional upon the establishment of a governance structure in Gaza that prioritizes civilian welfare. This means investing in local leadership committed to reconstruction and peace, rather than propping up corrupt intermediaries who maintain the status quo.
The future of Gaza cannot mirror its past, where foreign aid went directly into hundreds of miles of terror tunnels and massive rocket stockpiles instead of hospitals and schools. The international community needs to implement real change—a change that ensures aid serves its intended humanitarian purpose and contributes to a future where Gaza’s civilians are no longer caught in the cycle of conflict and suffering.
Funding Terrorism with International Aid Has To Stop
French President Emmanuel Macron talks to the media during a visit at Egyptian Red Crescent warehouses storing aid for Gaza, in the Egyptian border town of El-Arish, Egypt, on April 8, 2025.
Photo: Benoit Tessier / POOL / AFP
Hamas’ refusal to release the remaining hostages has had dire consequences for Gaza. The resumption of Israeli airstrikes against terror targets is but one result. Israel has also halted aid deliveries; 25,000 trucks had entered Gaza in the weeks before the ceasefire collapsed.
This decision has triggered international condemnation, with many blaming Israel’s aid blockade for Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis. But these accusations overlook a far more urgent and fundamental problem: aid to Gaza rarely reaches the civilian populations who need it. Instead, Hamas seizes these supplies, hoarding them for fighters or selling them on the black market.
For years, governments have irresponsibly funneled aid into Gaza without ensuring proper oversight, thereby enabling this corruption to thrive. Detailed reports have consistently documented Hamas’ serial exploitation of aid. Most recently, freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi provided harrowing confirmation. Earlier this month, Sharabi addressed the United Nations Security Council, describing how Hamas militants stole humanitarian aid marked with UN and UNRWA logos while he was chained underground and starved. While Hamas “ate like kings,” Sharabi and other captives survived on minimal rations of pita and tea.
Accountability for this shameful and unacceptable state of affairs must rest with world governments, which have irresponsibly supplied aid for decades and enabled large-scale diversion. Hamas’ systematic commandeering of humanitarian aid has been an open secret since the terror group forcibly seized power in Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, and controlling aid has contributed to Hamas’ power for nearly two decades.
As the current war continues, it is time for the international community—which donates billions of taxpayer dollars to Gaza each year—to stop this dangerous and corrupt pattern. They must implement significant reforms to ensure that any future aid entering Gaza directly benefits those who genuinely need it, rather than empowering those who perpetuate violence.
The reckoning needs to happen now as the scale of anticipated funding to Gaza from donor governments is immense. Estimates suggest that the reconstruction of Gaza will require at least $53 billion over the next decade, with $20 billion needed in the first three years alone. This is in addition to the $4 billion requested by the United Nations for emergency humanitarian aid to Palestinians in 2025. With such vast sums at stake, accountability and transparency in the distribution of aid are not just logistical necessities but moral imperatives. Without proper oversight, there is a serious risk that this funding will reinforce corruption, empower terror groups, and prolong the suffering of innocent civilians.
The first step toward a meaningful solution is for donor governments to break the cycle of aid diversion that has plagued Gaza for years. If the world continues to turn a blind eye to these practices, it is not just negligence—it’s complicity. Aid cannot simply be sent blindly or with the hope that it reaches those in need; it must be accompanied by strict enforcement mechanisms that guarantee proper distribution.
Another major component of reform must involve robust oversight of humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza. The past has shown that certain NGOs and UN agencies either lack the ability or the willingness to prevent their resources from being exploited by Hamas. Governments that provide aid should implement strict vetting procedures to ensure that no funding goes to organizations linked to terrorism. Furthermore, there must be independent audits and monitoring processes in place to track where aid goes, how it is used, and the activities of the organizations carrying out the aid. Transparency must be non-negotiable—without it, some aid agencies and NGOs will continue to be conduits for terror financing.
Additionally, the framework of aid distribution needs a complete overhaul. Donor countries involved in the eventual rebuilding of Gaza should establish networks committed to being free from the influence and control of terror groups. This must include working with vetted local organizations and regional partners that have no ties to extremism.
Finally, long-term stability in Gaza also requires a structural shift in the governance of the enclave. The international community cannot keep sending billions of dollars into a territory where a thuggish terrorist organization remains in power. Aid must be conditional upon the establishment of a governance structure in Gaza that prioritizes civilian welfare. This means investing in local leadership committed to reconstruction and peace, rather than propping up corrupt intermediaries who maintain the status quo.
The future of Gaza cannot mirror its past, where foreign aid went directly into hundreds of miles of terror tunnels and massive rocket stockpiles instead of hospitals and schools. The international community needs to implement real change—a change that ensures aid serves its intended humanitarian purpose and contributes to a future where Gaza’s civilians are no longer caught in the cycle of conflict and suffering.
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