Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator, issued a formal statement Monday with sharp accusations against the terrorist organization Hamas. According to Alakbarov, the group is actively interfering with humanitarian aid shipments, using violence against aid workers, and disrupting relief operations in the Strip.
1+“These incidents are not isolated,” he said. “They are unacceptable and reflect an escalating pattern of intimidation, violence, and disruption—including smuggling attempts, attacks on humanitarian operations, and abuse of aid workers. These actions endanger humanitarian personnel, disrupt the delivery of life-saving aid, and further limit the ability of humanitarian organizations to operate, while civilians across the Gaza Strip continue to face extremely harsh humanitarian conditions.”
The incident that prompted the condemnation occurred over the weekend, according to UN reports, when Hamas terrorists broke into a food distribution point in the Jabaliya area in the northern Strip. The terrorists also entered a World Food Programme warehouse and physically attacked two truck drivers transporting humanitarian supplies.
1+Hamas’s interior ministry rejected the accusations, claiming they are “baseless.” According to a senior official in the terrorist organization, local police and security forces are the ones securing the shipments and distribution centers.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories pushed back against Hamas, saying the UN statement provides further proof of Hamas’s cynical exploitation of the humanitarian space: “Hamas is using aid intended for residents for its own purposes.”