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In the framework of a ceasefire between Israel and the factions in Gaza, led by Hamas, NGO Monitor emphasizes the need for international actors, NGOs, and UN institutions to implement stringent procedures and regulations in order to prevent the rearming of Hamas and other terror actors in Gaza. The current lack of transparency and accountability in the provision of international aid to Gaza is untenable and has repeatedly led to the diversion of funds for missile production and vast concrete tunnels. The large-scale diversion of aid funds has enabled the amassing of an estimated 30,000 rockets and missiles, and the construction of kilometers of concrete lined tunnels throughout Gaza.

For instance, a World Vision Gaza official is currently on trial, accused of funneling $50 million of aid to Hamas. In other cases, staffers of UN agencies in Gaza have been convicted for assisting terror groups through diversion of aid materials and resources. NGO Monitor research has also documented close links between some NGOs and terror groups — particularly the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.1

To this end, NGO Monitor recommends a series of post-cease-fire mechanisms under the responsibility of the donors to ensure that international aid reaches its intended target:

  • All aid donors to Gaza, including UN institutions (UNRWA and OCHA), NGOs, and government agencies would be required to demonstrate administrative, technological, and budgetary capabilities to closely monitor the use of materials and resources they bring to Gaza. Donors must commit at least 10% of their Gaza budget to pay for trained staff and the monitoring the use of their contributions. These requirements should be formalized through an official licensing process overseen by Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit.
  • All Gaza donors would agree to transparently post detailed quarterly reports regarding the quantities and types of materials entering Gaza, methods of distribution, and monitoring mechanisms implemented to ensure that no aid was diverted to terror weapons and infrastructure.
  • All funding to NGOs found to have links to terror would be halted immediately. (See NGO Monitor’s reports for details.)
  • A special subcommittee of the Knesset’s Foreign & Defense Committee should be established to augment and oversee implementation of these recommendations. The subcommittee should meet monthly with officials of donor governments, UN agencies, and relevant NGOs.