LONDON: Israeli government claims that aid supplied by the UN into Gaza was regularly stolen by Hamas were not substantiated by evidence.
The New York Times said it spoke to two Israeli military officials and two other Israelis with knowledge of the matter on condition of anonymity. They suggested that the UN’s methods for getting aid into the enclave were “largely effective” before Israel sealed off access to the territory in March this year following the collapse of a ceasefire.
Israel and the US backed a new group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, giving it a near-monopoly on delivering aid supplies into Gaza in May. The GHF has been fiercely criticized for its methods by the UN and other global bodies, as well as national governments including the UK and France, amid reports of mass shootings at its distribution centers and independent claims that famine has subsequently swept the enclave.
Israel, which accused UN employees of taking part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on the country, justified the move by saying aid distributed by the UN and other groups was being taken and stockpiled by Hamas, with Benjamin Netanyahu saying in March: “Hamas is currently taking control of all supplies and goods entering Gaza.”
