Senior officials in Israel’s defense establishment are pushing for a significant reduction of the humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, Channel 12 News reports.

A classified internal document from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj. Gen. Yoram Halevy, was recently presented to the political leadership, warning that the volume of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip is double what is actually required, and is effectively fueling  Hamas’s continued governance and military buildup.

The document, revealed by Yisrael Hayom, states that while Gaza requires approximately 250 trucks per day to meet basic humanitarian needs, Israel is permitting 600 trucks to enter—mainly due to commitments made in ceasefire agreements.

The professional study conducted by COGAT in cooperation with intelligence agencies and international bodies found that Hamas is systematically exploiting the “significant surpluses” created inside Gaza.

The document states that “every truck beyond the actual humanitarian need strengthens Hamas,” since the organization seizes goods, taxes local merchants, and stockpiles food in its warehouses.

These activities allow Hamas to preserve its civilian control over the population by creating economic dependency and exclusive control over distribution networks and market mechanisms.

The document warns that, beyond strengthening Hamas’s rule, the massive volume of trucks makes it difficult for security forces to conduct thorough inspections, dramatically increasing the risk of smuggling.

The findings show that more than 75% of the smuggling attempts uncovered involved tobacco and cigarette products — goods with enormous economic value that Hamas allegedly uses to finance its operations. Authorities also reportedly intercepted attempts to smuggle sensitive dual-use materials.

While anti-Israel entities continue accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, Israel is sending shipments of Coca-Cola, candies, and Nutella into the Strip to fulfill the ceasefire agreements that Hamas continues to openly violate.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)