A senior UN official has finally denounced that the terrorist group Hamas interferes with the delivery of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and threatens humanitarian workers, complicating assistance operations in the territory even further.
The statement was made by the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Ramiz Alakbarov, who “strongly” condemned the obstruction of humanitarian operations by the de facto authorities in Gaza, referring to the Islamist group.
He indicated that Hamas's actions “endangered humanitarian personnel, intimidated workers delivering vital food aid, and disrupted life-saving humanitarian operations.” The official also warned that such situations are not isolated incidents, but rather reflect a recurring dynamic on the ground.
The statement
According to a UN statement, armed men linked to Hamas stormed a food distribution point in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. In that same incident, “they also entered a WFP (World Food Programme) warehouse and reportedly assaulted two truck drivers transporting humanitarian supplies.”
Alakbarov stated that these incidents “reflect an increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence, and obstruction, which includes attempts at smuggling, attacks, and abuses against humanitarian operations.”
In this regard, he warned that these actions are hindering the delivery of vital aid at a particularly critical time for the civilian population of Gaza, which is facing serious difficulties.
The Ministry of Interior in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, rejected the accusations and labeled them as unfounded.
Hamas terrorist
“These are unfounded accusations. The police and security forces continue to protect aid trucks and distribution centers, and facilitate the work of humanitarian and international organizations,” they stated in remarks to the AFP agency. They also assured that “the police will not allow any attacks against humanitarian workers.”
For its part, COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry body responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, harshly criticized Hamas following the allegations.
“This constitutes further evidence that Hamas cynically exploits the humanitarian space and aid intended for the residents of the Gaza Strip for its own purposes,” it expressed in a statement.
During the course of the conflict in Gaza, Israel had repeatedly accused Hamas of appropriating humanitarian aid for its fighters or of selling it to finance its operations. The recent statements from the UN reinforce that accusation amid a situation that continues to affect the distribution of assistance in the territory
