Israel will not allow the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip if Hamas uses construction materials to rebuild infiltration tunnels used for the purpose of carrying out terror attacks on Israelis, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said on Monday.
During a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at his office in New York, Ya'alon expressed his concern over a Hamas claim that its members were continuing to dig underground passageways leading from the coastal enclave into Israel.
The defense minister lamented that the ruling Palestinian faction in Gaza would deprive its population of much-needed reparation supplies in order to reconstruct the elaborate network of tunnels destroyed by the IDF during Operation Protective Edge.
"We [Israel] want the residents of Gaza to live in dignity and prosperity, rebuild their homes and return to normal life. But, we are very worried. Just yesterday Hamas representatives said they intend to reconstruct the infiltration tunnels, instead of rebuilding the homes of Gaza's residents," Ya'alon told Ban.
Last week, Israel permitted - for the first time in a year - truckloads of cement and steel into the Gaza Strip to repair damage to private homes from this summer’s war with Hamas.
He added that it was imperative that Hamas not rearm itself given the situation in the wake of the summer's seven-week conflict with Israel.
"It's in our interest for the residents of Gaza to improve their economic situation and their lives, but it must be clear that the funds and equipment are not used for terrorism, therefore we are closely monitoring all of the developments," Ya'alon stressed.
The United Nations brokered an agreement with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to create a monitoring mechanism intended to ensure that building material is not diverted to Hamas for use in rebuilding the tunnels Israel destroyed during the fighting.
That mechanism – which went into operation during UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Gaza last Tuesday – is designed to allow an estimated 60,000 homes that were damaged or destroyed to be rebuilt.