How Hamas exploits Gaza side of Rafah Crossing

As part of the IDF’s efforts to secure of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing, IDF soldiers came across incriminating evidence that at least part of the staff at the crossing also served in Hamas’s militia, the Al-Qassam brigades.

A worker’s pass from the Rafah crossing maintenance department was retrieved, belonging to a worker named Nasser Kamal Ghizan Abu Mousa, alongside another card of his depicting him as a member of Hamas’s Ezedeen Al-Qassam brigades. The Al-Qassam card also read “please facilitate the tasks of this card’s holder.”

A source at the IDF told the Jerusalem Post: “The IDF’s mission in the Rafah crossing revolves around cleansing the area from Hamas’s terror activity and to make sure that the goods brought into the Gaza Strip will make it to Gazan citizens, rather than Hamas terrorists.

“There are other terrorists linked to the crossing, which we will expose in the future,” added the source. “This is but one of a series of findings providing evidence to the fact that Hamas has been clandestinely running affairs de facto, exploiting the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing for its own survival.”

The source highlighted the fact that in the past weeks, IDF forces uncovered tunnel shafts in the area of the Rafah crossing, used by Hamas for attacking purposes. “This also demonstrates how Hamas exercised control over the vicinity of the crossing.”

Hamas attacks entry points for humanitarian aid

In the same context, Hamas has been repeatedly firing rockets aimed at the Kerem Shalom crossing and the surrounding area from the Rafah crossing area, exploiting these areas to threaten aid convoys aimed at the citizens of Gaza.

Despite ruling the Gaza Strip de facto since the last round of elections and bloody coup over two decades ago, over the years Hamas officials have denied responsibility for their constituency in Gaza. In October, Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk implied that Hamas’s tunnel network was meant to protect only Hamas members, while the rest of the citizens fall under jurisdiction of UNRWA or Israel.

Likewise, several Hamas leaders escaped the Gaza Strip to safety at their patrons’ in Doha or elsewhere few days prior to the October 7th massacre, to avoid facing Israeli retaliation.

Source » jpost