Army sources contradict government claims long used to justify limiting humanitarian assistance in Gaza
Senior Israeli army officers have acknowledged that there is no evidence Hamas systematically stole humanitarian aid delivered by the United Nations during the war on Gaza, Israeli media said on Saturday.
Haaretz newspaper, citing two senior officers and two other Israeli sources familiar with the matter, described the UN’s aid distribution system in Gaza as “highly effective” in delivering food to civilians across the enclave.
Their statements directly contradict repeated claims by Israeli government officials that Hamas was diverting aid for its military wing, a narrative frequently used to justify limiting humanitarian assistance to the territory.
This acknowledgment comes amid growing reports of corruption within the Israeli-managed aid system and rising international accusations that Israel is deliberately obstructing relief as a means of collective punishment against civilians in Gaza.
On Friday, CNN reported that President Donald Trump’s administration found no evidence to support claims that Hamas was stealing humanitarian supplies. The network noted that the US State Department had used those allegations to justify backing the Israeli-supported Gaza Relief Foundation, a controversial private entity not recognized by the UN.
Since May 27, Israel has launched a separate aid distribution initiative through the Gaza Relief Foundation, bypassing the UN and international humanitarian agencies. The move has been widely rejected by the global relief community.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to open fire on Palestinians gathered near distribution centers, killing hundreds of aid seekers.
Gaza’s hunger crisis has spiraled into a humanitarian catastrophe. Harrowing footage shows severely emaciated residents, some reduced to skin and bone, collapsing from exhaustion, dehydration, and prolonged starvation.
On Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said five more Palestinians, including two children, died from hunger and malnutrition in the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll since October 2023 to 127, including 85 children.
On Tuesday, the World Food Program warned that one in every three people in Gaza had gone without food for several days due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 59,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
