Alerts

Gaza’s Understanding of U.S. Humanitarian Aid: A “Free Lunch”

The message is Western support for Hamas and the rejection of Israel
Share this
Soldiers load AFCENT C-130s with humanitarian aid bound for Gaza
Halal meals destined for an airdrop over Gaza are readied for loading onto an Air Force C-130J Super Hercules in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 7, 2024. (U.S. Department of Defense)

Table of Contents

Gazans interpret U.S. humanitarian aid without a quid pro quo as unqualified American support for Hamas and Gaza and a rejection of Israel. Gazans note that the United States helps them more than the Arab states. Therefore, Gazans interpret U.S. aid as an implicit justification for their actions on October 7, 2023. Gaza views American air drops, seaport plans, and aid convoys as concrete illustrations of American solidarity with Palestinian “liberation,” which aims to eradicate Israel. Unconditional aid strengthens the Gazans’ sense of self-righteousness and understanding that October 7 was a milestone in achieving victory in their dedication to never-ending jihad against the Jewish state.

Humanitarian aid programs prove to the Gazans that they and the Americans “think alike.” Like the Americans, Gazans believe that Israel has “gone too far” in the IDF’s destruction of much of Gaza’s infrastructure while hunting Hamas terrorists. Like the Americans, they would welcome – though have not called for – a ceasefire. These points prove to the Gazans that there is essentially no debate between them and the Americans, and statements by American politicians such as Sen. Charles Schumer enhance the Gazans’ impression.

This assumption is only strengthened by the fact that the U.S. has not demanded public accountability for the actions of Hamas nor public regret from Palestinian Authority officials. U.S. aid does not come with a “price tag” of thanks or loyalty to American aid providers.

Similarly, Israel has fallen for the same deception. Israel has taken a non-transactional approach in its unilateral water allotment to Jordan. Symbolic of Jordanian politicians’ and citizens’ support of Hamas’s 10/7 atrocities, a shawarma restaurant named “October 7” was opened in Amman and widely and triumphantly promoted in viral social media clips. Still, Israel has not imposed sanctions or registered its outrage with Jordanian officials.

Additionally, in this Gaza war, more humanitarian aid has been provided than in other operations, yet more of it has been hijacked by Hamas, and less of it reaches the people who need it. Even so, both mainstream and social media portray “starving Gazans” as the victims of Israel and not the strategic victims of Hamas. 

The U.S. humanitarian aid approach has been a strategic mistake. In the more “forgiving“ Western culture, it may seem “cruel” to demand something in return for aid. Yet, in Middle Eastern culture, giving without getting in return is considered submission. This action makes the giver a “sucker״ to be exploited cynically by his enemy.

The forgiving and dovish Western approach to humanitarian aid weakens Israel and the West, bolsters Hamas, and renders these programs political and perceptual failures for Israel and the West. The Israeli government was naïve in providing even relatively small amounts of petrol to Gaza during the war, failing to calculate the damage it would do not only in the hands of Hamas fighters but also the psychological power and perceptual triumph it would provide to Hamas-supporting Gazans as a sign of Israeli surrender and capitulation.

The answer to this appearance of submission may not be abruptly stopping aid but establishing the conditions and methods by which it is distributed. Aid givers should demand that receivers declare at distribution centers that they are not aligned with Hamas militants. A “no free lunches” policy would have Israel and the West demand accountability in aid organization and distribution. Without supervision, aid provides “oxygen” to Hamas, buying it time for continuing terror and disinformation warfare that seeks to turn the United States and other Western powers against Israel. 

Dr. Dan Diker

Dr. Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, is the longtime Director of its Counter-Political Warfare Project. He is former Secretary-General of the World Jewish Congress and a Research Fellow of the International Institute for Counter Terrorism at Reichman University (formerly IDC, Herzliya). He has written six books exposing the “apartheid antisemitism” phenomenon in North America, and has authored studies on Iran’s race for regional supremacy and Israel’s need for defensible borders.

Zvi Yehezkeli

Zvi Yehezkeli is an Arab Affairs correspondent and head of the Arab desk at Israel’s Channel 13 News.
Share this

Invest in JCFA

Subscribe to Daily Alert

The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Related Items

Stay Informed, Always

Get the latest news, insights, and updates directly in your inbox—be the first to know!

Subscribe to Jerusalem Issue Briefs
The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Notifications

The Jerusalem Center
The Gaza Flotilla Is a Fraud

Far from a humanitarian mission, the latest 70-vessel spectacle on its way to Gaza from Italy is a costly act of political theater @FiammaNirenste1 @JNS_org

11:28am
The Jerusalem Center
The Assassination of Abu Obeida – Why Is Hamas Remaining Silent?

Senior Israeli security officials note that such silence is not new; Hamas often delays its statements following targeted Israeli assassinations, raising questions whether this stems from attempts to verify the information or from a deliberate strategy of ambiguity https://x.com/jerusalemcenter

11:25am
The Jerusalem Center
The Impact of Radical Legal Ideology: From the Classroom to the International Forum

Massive funding of Critical Legal Studies-style academic and extracurricular programs promotes anti-Western ideas and undermines international community institutions and legal conventions https://x.com/jerusalemcenter

11:23am
The Jerusalem Center
Western Countries Focus on Iran Technicalities, Ignore Ideological Bent

The West must look beyond nuclear “offsides” and confront the core issue: a regime in decline, anchored to a dying leader, ruling over a weary population hungry for change x.com/jerusalemcenter

11:19am
The Jerusalem Center
Israel, Gaza, and the Race Against Time

The Trump proposal to create a 10-year trusteeship levels the playing field and provides an opportunity for the Egyptians to open its border with Gaza @Dan_Diker

11:15am
The Jerusalem Center
Canada investigating Israeli-Canadian IDF soldiers?
JCFA senior researcher, Amb. Alan Baker slams the probe as a “political PR stunt with no legal basis.” “This isn’t justice—it’s a betrayal. Canada is siding with PLO propaganda over facts.”
11:29am
The Jerusalem Center
What makes a child believe killing a #Jew is justified?

In PA textbooks, Jews are called liars and frauds; their fate: elimination. This is #indoctrination—not #education. But change is happening. On East to West, @IMPACT_SE CEO Marcus Sheff exposes how #UNRWA-funded schools are fueling extremism—and what real reform looks like.  Listen now on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2JHqh973U  Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8OkJTGNfVUc

11:43am
The Jerusalem Center
Highlights from the @Jerusalem_Post Annual Conference in NYC:

Dr. @Dan_Diker, President of the JCFA: “October 7 wasn’t just an attack on Israel — it was a blow to the U.S. on Israeli soil. It demands moral clarity and a united front between Israel and the U.S. to defeat jihadist terror.”

2:20pm
The Jerusalem Center
@XAVIAERD says it like it is

Well, @XAVIAERD says it like it is: If you’re part of “#Queers for #Palestine,” he’ll pay for your flight to #Gaza. Go see for yourself how they treat LGBTQ+ people over there. Don’t miss this bold take on the Israel-Hamas war and the woke right.

2:32pm
The Jerusalem Center
“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.”

“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.” On Our Middle East by @JNS_org, @Dan_Diker@KhaledAbuToameh (JCFA/@GatestoneInst) break it down: If Hamas isn’t crushed, Iran wins. The jihadis—from #Gaza to your campus—get the green light. Diker: “This war is for the West.” No fluff. No filters. Just raw insight from two insiders who actually know what’s going on.  Watch: youtu.be/4Aq_zcbb4Yo

2:15pm
The Jerusalem Center
5/5 Lt. Col. Kalo on East to West with @smartinezamir:

“This operation showcases Israel’s strategic intelligence superiority both regionally and globally. It demonstrates the moral commitment to recovered soldiers and also strengthens Israel’s position with allies.” youtube.com/watch?v=nIvNNi

2:07pm
The Jerusalem Center
4/5 The operation built on intelligence gathered during the 2019 #Baumel recovery

#Mossad agents operated under cover in #Syria for years, visiting a graveyard multiple times under fire to collect remains for DNA matching. The intelligence community’s evolution combines technology, big data analysis, and human intelligence capabilities.

2:02pm

Close