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Israel's Concern: Gaza Aid Flotilla Will Help Hamas
(Christian Science Monitor) Erin Cunningham - If the activists make it to Gaza, they are unlikely to be able to side-step the increasingly repressive and cash-strapped Hamas government. "Every time aid like this comes from abroad, it goes through Hamas, everybody knows that," says Gaza-based Palestinian political analyst Talal Okal. "They want to show that they dominate everything, and that everything in Gaza passes under their eyes. So, if these boats arrive, Hamas will receive it [the aid] and distribute it how they want, to their supporters and according to their policies." Palestinians living in Gaza say Hamas has sought to bring more and more under its control in Gaza in recent months, raiding the offices of human rights organizations and embarking on an extremely unpopular taxation campaign as it grapples with serious cash shortages. Hamas also keeps an eye on - and, in some cases, completely controls - the goods that come through the smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border. Okal says the most stark example of Hamas aid cronyism was when Hamas individuals and supporters were seen driving ambulances brought for Gaza's hospitals by British parliamentarian George Galloway's "Viva Palestina" convoy in January.