Hamas bites the hand that feeds Gaza

by Sheri Oz · May 6, 2024

You need to know what we are dealing with and I don’t know how to start this article so let me just list a few points in the order they come to mind.

Kerem Shalom Crossing was bombed a short time ago, injuring at least seven people with about 10 missiles. Hamas took responsibility for the attack.
Kerem Shalom Crossing is close to Rafah.
Kerem Shalom has been the main venue for transferring humanitarian aid from Israel into Gaza since the war began.
Tsav 9 (aka Order 9), a movement of soldiers’ and hostage families opposed to stopping the war, have blocked trucks taking aid into Gaza with the motto: no aid for the hostages, no aid for Gaza. They believe that if Hamas is not given the unlimited tons of aid with which they are no being supplied, it will lead to an earlier end to the war.
Now, ironically, the crossing was closed down because it was bombed by Hamas.
The bombs were launched from Rafah, the last hold-out in Gaza of the remaining Hamas units. For some reason, the USA and Britain are trying to keep Israel from expanding their ground operations into Rafah.
There are some who are arguing that the missiles were launched at Kerem Shalom military base and not at the nearby crossing. Well, launching missiles at a military base is as much an act of war as shooting at the checkpoint, no? And being close, also warrants closing down the checkpoint, no?

Here are some comments on this issue from social media accounts I follow:

Journalist Amit Segal writes that it looks like Hamas gave the go-ahead for operations in Rafah and it is unclear why Israel wasted weeks waiting for a deal to which Hamas has never had any intention of agreeing.
Abu Ali Express in English writes: “The launchings of Hamas from Rafah towards Kerem Shalom gave Israel justification for the action in Rafah, saved them, and gave them a way out in the eyes of the whole world. How stupid is Hamas.” He also likes my title as he, too, wrote that Hamas bites the hand that feeds it, shooting at the place that brings them aid.
The Shadow, Unapologetic Right Winger writes that Hamas has nothing to worry about because Israel will make sure that humanitarian aid continues to be delivered to the enemy during war. By air?
Psychological Warfare posted this image:

Text reads: If the enemy is preparing for war, we are telling him that we have completed the preparations. Under the text, they write: “Thanks for the update, bro. Boil the water, the IDF is on the way!”

and this one:

My translation into English, To any Palestinian: “Whoever launched 21 missiles from Rafah — I swear to Allah that he is a collaborator, sitting and saying to the Occupier (i.e., Israel): ‘Come, come, wipe out Rafah.”

A statement from Tsav 9:

After the IDF spokesman announced that the Kerem Shalom crossing was closed to truck traffic following the severe damage caused by Hamas rockets, the Tsav 9 Movement said sharply: “Why did you have to wait for such a severe damage to close the crossing? The IDF must keep the crossing closed. It is not possible for the State of Israel to remain silent and continue to transfer aid to the terrorist organization.

And Reut Ben Haim says:

This was an unprecedented, painful, sad, and bloody event. We cannot continue to give aid to Hamas. Friends, get up from the sofa, get out of your regular routine, and stop the aid to Hamas. This is the moment, this is the hour, we will not allow our blood to be spilled for nothing and we will not continue to pamper Hamas. Friends, if you stay at home, the trucks will keep coming. So come out and together we will stop this aid!