Cement voor wederopbouw belandt op zwarte markt Gaza

 

In de pro-Israel scene werd er al voor gewaarschuwd, en dit lijkt nu te zijn uitgekomen. Het cement dat Israel onder internationale druk toelaat wordt nu tegen de regels in verkocht door privé ondernemingen, die zeer waarschijnlijk banden hebben met Hamas, en dus makkelijk een deel kunnen verdonkeremanen. Verwacht hierover geen artikelen in uw krant, want dit past niet in het beeld van de Gazanen als slachtoffers en Israel dat hen zonder geldige redenen humanitaire goederen onthoudt en collectief straft voor het uitoefenen van hun democratische rechten. Opvallend dat ook dit nieuws van een Palestijn zelf afkomstig is en dus uit onverdachte bron.

 

These articles also make clear that cement that is supposed to be earmarked for specific projects have already been diverted, as they talk about cement traders and private buyers who are selling and buying cement. The UN mechanism to control the distribution of cement is clearly failing.
And this almost certainly means that Hamas is using this new cement to rebuild its terror tunnels. 

 

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Gaza cement being diverted to black market - and taxed by Hamas (update)

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.co.il/2014/12/gaza-cement-being-diverted-to-black.html#.VIEAwzGG9wS

 

You know how all the cement that is being imported to Gaza is supposed to be used only for specific international projects? How the UN says it created a mechanism ensuring that the cement will not be diverted?

Yesterday, Gaza journalist Hazem Balousha tweeted this

:

Yesterday, 600 tons of cement were sent into Gaza. Assuming that Balousha is telling the truth, here's where some of it ended up.

The other big news in the Palestinian Arab press is the Ministry of Finance in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, has started taxing every ton of cement a fee of 20 shekels. The PA denounced the move but there are reports that customs agents in Gaza are imposing the tax, and as a result the shipments of cement todayhave been suspended.

These articles also make clear that cement that is supposed to be earmarked for specific projects have already been diverted, as they talk about cement traders and private buyers who are selling and buying cement. The UN mechanism to control the distribution of cement is clearly failing.

And this almost certainly means that Hamas is using this new cement to rebuild its terror tunnels. 

UPDATE: Hamas has apparently relented and stopped imposing the tax after complaints. But the undersecretary of finance said that there was a monopoly by a certain company to sell the cement and it adds its own fee of 150 shekels per ton, so why cry crocodile tears over the Hamas tax when this company makes more?

The Gaza Ministry of Housing is apparently in charge of which citizens can get the cement and construction materials, and they have published a list of nearly 6000 homeowners who qualify.  This sure seems like a system that is ripe for corruption and diversion of the materials.