₦airaland Forum

A United Nations official has said Palestinian militant group Hamas was disrupting aid distribution in the Gaza Strip, placing further hardship on its civilians ​already grappling with the humanitarian crisis in the war-shattered enclave.

In a ‌statement late on Sunday, the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories said humanitarian workers had to halt activity on Saturday after armed men entered a food distribution point in northern ​Gaza and assaulted two truck drivers in a World Food Program warehouse.

"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," said U.N. Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ​Ramiz Alakbarov.

"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," Alakbarov said.

Hamas on Monday denied the ​allegations. Its media office said the police forces involved were on a law enforcement operation after ‌receiving ⁠reports of smuggled cigarettes and mobile phone components concealed inside aid parcels.

"The incident at the World Food Programme (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," Hamas said.

More ​than two-and-a-half years ⁠after the Gaza war was triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, much of the enclave remains in ruins.

Israel's ​devastating aerial and ground bombardment displaced nearly the entire population ​of two ⁠million people, most of whom now live in tents or damaged buildings in a narrow coastal strip of territory still governed by Hamas.

Israeli troops remain in control of ⁠more than ​60% of the territory, including all its access ​points. Ceasefire talks meant to see Hamas disarmed and Israel withdraw from Gaza have been faltering for ​months.

Sunshine34:
Israel has been saying all this, but for their hatred towards Israel has blinded them to see or believe. Their only problem was Israel. Those UN should gerarahia pls.

smokinloud:
There's never been starvation in Gaza

Sunshine34:
Israel has been saying all this, but for their hatred towards Israel has blinded them to see or believe. Their only problem was Israel. Those UN should gerarahia pls.

agulion:
That is the more reason some of us Yoruba Muslims do not support islamic terrorists and islamic bandits, this people are evil and wicked

Mirasteel:
Really? are you serious? most of you here are something else.

Mirasteel:
Shut up abeg, even the zionist government are doing worse than what those hamas are doing.

You support those evil zionist but you have forgotten that they killed 20,000 kids.

Mirasteel:
Shut up abeg, even the zionist government are doing worse than what those hamas are doing.

You support those evil zionist but you have forgotten that they killed 20,000 kids.

Kobojunkie:
Yep, the UN finally admits what the world has known for over 2 years now. Just imagine how f-cked up things have been at the UN for information to take this long to reach the organization with a UNRWA, the UN's own agency, on the ground in the Gaza Strip since even before the crisis. 😒

shoodboi2:
It's funny how the so-called UN official skipped talking about the Islamic State Sinai fighters funded by Israel to steal aid in Palestine. Hamas doesn't have a history of stealing aid.

Mirasteel:
Shut up abeg, even the zionist government are doing worse than what those hamas are doing.

You support those evil zionist but you have forgotten that they killed 20,000 kids.