A high-ranking United Nations official publicly accused Hamas on Monday of blocking humanitarian aid deliveries in the Gaza Strip, putting relief workers at risk and making an already dire situation even more dangerous for those trying to help civilians.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said he “strongly” condemned what he described as interference by Gaza’s de facto rulers in humanitarian operations.
According to Alakbarov, Hamas’s conduct had “endangered humanitarian personnel, intimidated workers delivering life-saving food assistance and disrupted life-saving humanitarian operations.”
Among the specific incidents cited, armed individuals connected to Hamas reportedly forced their way into a food distribution site and a World Food Programme warehouse located in Jabalia in northern Gaza, where they allegedly assaulted truck drivers carrying critical supplies.
Alakbarov made clear that these were not one-off events. “These incidents are not isolated” and “reflect an increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction, including smuggling attempts, targeting and abusing humanitarian operations,” he stated.
He warned that the ongoing interference is preventing aid from reaching civilians throughout Gaza, who are already enduring severe hardships.
Hamas officials pushed back against the UN’s claims. Meanwhile, Israeli defense officials have pointed to the reported pattern of obstruction as evidence that the group continues to exploit humanitarian spaces for its own purposes.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October, ending roughly two years of fighting that began when Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. However, the agreement’s second phase — which was supposed to include Hamas disarming and Israeli forces gradually pulling back from Gaza — has been stalled for months.
Israeli forces have expanded their foothold in Gaza during that time and now control more than 60% of the territory. Hamas retains control over the remainder. In a notable development last week, Hamas announced it was disbanding the 15-member governing body that had run the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades.
