Seized Gaza Files Point to Hamas Influence in Aid Operations, Hospitals, Watchdog Group Says
Felice Friedson reports on a sprawling set of allegations with big implications: Documents captured by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza over the past two years, NGO Monitor president Gerald Steinberg says, show Hamas embedding liaisons inside humanitarian organizations and medical institutions to monitor staff, steer aid, and tighten control. Steinberg argues the material shifts long-running claims about diversion and infiltration from suspicion to something closer to a paper trail—while stressing that most of the cache remains unsorted and unexamined.
Steinberg says NGO Monitor closely reviewed about 50 Arabic documents, translated and cross-checked, that describe what he calls a “guarantor” system: Hamas-appointed figures assigned to NGOs to collect information, pressure personnel, and influence decision-making. He names groups including Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council, and Doctors Without Borders, claiming they operated with Hamas-linked “guarantors” inside their structures. He also contends that foreign staff understood Hamas’ role, but NGOs did not publicly warn Israeli officials.
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The interview revisits the World Vision case, citing Israel’s prosecution of Mohammad El Halabi and Steinberg’s claim that Hamas later demanded his release in a prisoner exchange. Steinberg extends the argument to Gaza’s hospitals, alleging they were used for command-and-control and that hostages were held in hospital wings. He cites claims involving Drs. Hussam Abu Safiya and Ahmed al-Kahlout, alongside an Israeli Foreign Ministry statement quoting al-Kahlout: “I was recruited to Hamas in 2010,” and describing Hamas operatives working in hospitals.
Steinberg links the problem to donor opacity—especially in the US nonprofit framework—and to post-Oct. 7 funding surges “with no oversight.” He also points to Israeli registration requirements for NGOs and criticizes UN bodies for their silence.
Read the full piece, then listen to the audio interview; Felice Friedson’s reporting is packed with details worth hearing in Steinberg’s own words.
