By Matt Underwood No Proof Hamas Routinely Stole U.N. Aid, Israeli Military Officials Say
The core revelation here is that Israeli military officials are saying there’s no evidence Hamas routinely stole aid from the United Nations. This is a significant statement, particularly given the context of restricted aid access to Gaza. These officials, speaking anonymously to the New York Times, claim that the UN aid operation was relatively secure, less vulnerable to Hamas interference compared to other aid groups operating in the region. The implication? The UN’s direct management of its supply chain and distribution within Gaza made it more difficult for Hamas to pilfer aid.
Now, this doesn’t mean there was no aid theft. The officials acknowledge that Hamas did steal from smaller aid organizations. The crucial distinction, however, is that there’s no evidence of *regular* theft from the UN. The UN, as the largest aid provider, therefore appears to have been less affected. This nuance is essential. It’s an important point because the international community wants the UN to be exclusively distributing aid, since it’s the GHF that the issues are predominantly arising from. The argument against that was “Hamas steals UN aid.”
It raises the question: why the focus on theft as a reason for aid restrictions if UN aid, which formed the bulk of the aid, wasn’t regularly being stolen? The article references other aid organizations and groups bringing aid into Gaza as being less reliable and more vulnerable to interference. The officials seem to imply that smaller organizations were targeted because they lacked the same level of on-the-ground oversight and distribution control.
This raises some serious questions. The article highlights that the Israeli military released records and videos purporting to show Hamas exploiting humanitarian aid. However, the documents do not specifically refer to the theft of UN aid. This begs the question: why release information about aid theft in general if the primary aid source, the UN, was largely untouched? This can be perceived as an attempt to muddy the waters and create a generalized narrative of aid theft.
The timeline of events, as presented in the article, also raises eyebrows. It states that in mid-March, Israeli military officials met with Netanyahu’s military advisor to discuss plans for a new aid system, after concluding that Hamas wasn’t regularly stealing UN aid. This seems off, especially given the fact the GHF was launched in May. It seems like there’s some manipulation of the facts here.
There’s a consistent theme of anonymity, too. The senior military officials and others interviewed spoke anonymously because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. The Prime Minister’s office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The military, in a statement, said that it has been “well documented” that Hamas has “exploited humanitarian aid.” However, the military did not dispute the assessment that there was no evidence of regular theft from the UN. It’s important because what the international community wants is for the UN to distribute aid exclusively, as the GHF is where the issues are arising. The argument against that was “Hamas steals UN aid and sells it at exorbitant prices”.
This is significant. If UN aid was relatively safe and effective, the argument for restricting UN involvement weakens. It challenges the justification for new aid systems. This admission creates space to rethink the aid strategy, and to focus on making sure that UN distribution is not impeded by other factors. The fact that Hamas is less likely to *steal* the aid is not necessarily the most interesting part of the narrative.
The context is critical. There’s the underlying issue of governance. Hamas, according to some, operates like a cartel that controls the government. The aid issue is not that interesting because Hamas was given the aid in the first place. Their method of governance has been via taxation that then goes to fund their terrorism wing. The UN and other NGOs have made peace with that detail rather than rock the boat.
The issue with the aid restrictions, is that it’s preventing enough food and water from getting into Gaza, giving Hamas the opportunity to massively inflate the value of aid. If there was enough food and clean water, Hamas would not have this advantage. The claim, “Hamas steals and sells the aid” is irrelevant to the reality of the situation. If the UN’s aid is safe, then the group that’s having allegations against them, can withdraw and let the UN do what they’re supposed to do.
Other sources are claiming that other armed groups are involved in looting aid. So it doesn’t really matter if it’s Hamas or other armed groups, the issue is still there. It’s also important to note that Israel has historically been able to, and has, inspected all aid entering the strip. This was not a reason for the stoppage. It’s important to note that this information is coming from within the military and not the Knesset.
This article does highlight a lot of contradictions. We have anonymous Israeli military officials saying Hamas is stealing aid, but can’t confirm that it was UN aid. The implications are vast. If UN aid isn’t being stolen, the rationale for alternative aid distribution systems, such as the GHF is being challenged. The argument is that Hamas uses aid to stay in power. The data, however, doesn’t entirely support that theory. Of the 156 incidents of loss or theft reported, 63 were attributed to unknown perpetrators, 35 to armed actors, 25 to unarmed people, and only 11 directly to Israeli military action. This information clearly shows that aid is being stolen. However, a large majority of the theft is unknown.