Their actions, he said, “endangered humanitarian personnel, intimidated workers delivering life-saving food assistance and disrupted life-saving humanitarian operations”.
Since the beginning of the war, Israel has repeatedly claimed that Hamas has systematically seized aid trucks and diverted distribution for its own use, including materials such as cement and steel intended for civilian reconstruction.
“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 Alakbarov, who is the UN’s top humanitarian official in the Palestinian territories.
“They are placing humanitarian workers at risk, disrupting the delivery of life-saving assistance, and further constraining the ability of humanitarian organisations to operate at a time when civilians across Gaza continue to face immense and pressing humanitarian conditions.”
Hamas has denied the allegations, claiming its forces were involved in a law enforcement operation after receiving reports of smuggled cigarettes and mobile phone components concealed inside aid parcels.
"The incident at the WFP food distribution centre in the Abu Rashid area of Jabalia Refugee Camp was neither a 'raid,' an 'attack,' nor an 'obstruction' of humanitarian work, as falsely claimed," the terror group said.
Humanitarian aid packages waiting to be picked up on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom Crossing Point in Gaza on July 24, 2025 (Getty Images)[Missing Credit]
A ceasefire was reached in Gaza between Israel and Hamas in October following two years of war, sparked by the terror group’s atrocities committed across southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The second phase of the ceasefire, involving Hamas disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, has been stalled for months.
Hamas, which last week announced it was dissolving its 15-member body that had governed the enclave for nearly two decades, still exerts control over much of Gaza.
