A United Nations official has acknowledged that armed individuals affiliated with Hamas have obstructed humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza. Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN's Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, stated that humanitarian workers were forced to halt food distribution in Jabalia, North Gaza, after an armed group forcibly entered a distribution point.
Alakbarov described these incidents as "completely unacceptable" and indicative of a "dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction." He highlighted that these actions are not isolated events. Reports from the Israeli army have previously detailed Hamas's alleged diversion of aid, presenting seized documents and memos as evidence. According to sources tracking aid, in the past two years, approximately 1.8 million tons of food and over 18,000 tons of medical supplies entered Gaza. These goods, the sources claim, were subsequently seized by Hamas, with a portion allegedly sold at inflated prices to residents while essential supplies were kept for militants.
Sources within the U.S. government indicated that the Inspector General's office at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had for over two years flagged instances of Hamas interference with aid delivery, which the UN had not previously acknowledged publicly. The UN's recent statement has drawn attention to the challenges in ensuring humanitarian aid reaches its intended recipients in the Gaza Strip.