UN official accuses Hamas of obstructing aid distribution in Gaza

A United Nations official has accused Hamas of obstructing humanitarian aid distribution in the Gaza Strip, exacerbating the crisis for civilians. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN's deputy special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, stated that armed individuals entered a World Food Programme warehouse in northern Gaza, assaulting two truck drivers. This incident forced humanitarian workers to halt activities on Saturday.

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These incidents are not isolated. They are completely unacceptable and reflect an increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction, including smuggling attempts, targeting and abusing humanitarian operations.

Alakbarov described these events as an "unacceptable and increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction." He emphasized that such actions put humanitarian workers at risk, disrupt the delivery of essential aid, and limit the capacity of organizations to operate during a time of immense civilian hardship.

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They are placing humanitarian workers at risk, disrupting the delivery of life-saving assistance, and further constraining the ability of humanitarian organizations to operate at a time when civilians across Gaza continue to face immense and pressing humanitarian conditions.

Hamas, however, has denied the accusations. The group's media office asserted that the police were engaged in a law enforcement operation. They claimed the operation was initiated after receiving reports of smuggled cigarettes and mobile phone components being concealed within aid parcels. Hamas characterized the incident at the WFP food distribution center not as a raid or obstruction, but as a response to alleged smuggling.

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The incident at the World Food Program (WFP) food distribution center in the Abu Rashid area of Jabalia Refugee Camp was neither a 'raid,' an 'attack,' nor an 'obstruction' of humanitarian work, as falsely claimed.