Hamas‘s rule over Gaza since 2007 has been marked by the exploitation of its civilian population and abuse of humanitarian aid mechanisms. Now, led by the United States, plans to begin Gaza reconstruction as a Hamas-free enclave are underway. However, without a comprehensive solution that prevents the terrorist group’s resurgence, Gazans will again be robbed of the chance at a normal life. A post-Hamas Gaza requires recognizing and rejecting the system by which Hamas infiltrated the humanitarian nongovernmental organization industry to strengthen its crushing grip on Gaza’s economy and its people. 

Internal Hamas documents, captured during the war in Gaza and analyzed by NGO Monitor, show that Hamas surveilled, intimidated, and controlled international aid nongovernmental organizations in the Gaza Strip. I reviewed hundreds of Hamas’s memoranda, correspondence, and reports in their original Arabic. They demonstrate that the terrorist group mandated high-level “guarantors” — employees at major nongovernmental organizations who were forced to liaise with Hamas, share sensitive internal information, shelve or alter vital humanitarian projects, and channel........

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