re: Who builds Hamas' terror tunnels?

I'm really very puzzled how a predominantly conservative board, that is presumably in favor of free markets and against foreign aid, can fail to connect the dots here. Nevertheless, I'll try to lay this out once again.

Israel blockaded construction materials from Gaza under a dual-use provision. This means that the only cement, lumber, and steel that was allowed in was "to facilitate construction projects in Gaza which have been authorized by the PA [PA in Gaza = Hamas]"

Now game this out. Why is trade generally a better idea than foreign aid? Because aid can be skimmed by kleptocrats while trade empowers the private sector.

It makes less than no sense to say "we have to keep the blockade because terror tunnels!" The blockade has been in place for seven years, and that hasn't stopped the tunnels, has it? All it has done is wiped out the private sector in Gaza. 100% of the construction materials that go in above-ground go through Hamas. No amount of "international inspection" is going to prevent those materials from being diverted into tunnels. All you're doing is ensuring that the Palestinians who don't want to build tunnels, such as your restaurateurs, your landlords, your legitimate industrialists, the people who would rather not play ball with Hamas, can't get their hands on shite. (Especially because Hamas also has a hand in most of the unauthorized smuggling as well.)

When you outlaw concrete, only outlaws get concrete.