GazaHerald – The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has publicly accused Israel of spreading false claims that Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid in Gaza, warning that these unfounded accusations are part of a broader effort to discredit international relief organizations and tighten Israeli control over life-saving aid.
“No Proof of Aid Diversion”: UNRWA Dismisses Israeli Allegations
“There is no proof of aid diversion in Gaza,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, in a statement shared on social media. He warned that Israel’s repeated accusations of Hamas theft are part of a coordinated campaign to undermine humanitarian operations and replace them with “a diabolic and politically motivated distribution scheme.”
“Claims were only aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the humanitarian community,” Lazzarini wrote, calling for a “principled and at-scale humanitarian response” led by organizations like UNRWA.
Lazzarini’s public condemnation follows a report by The New York Times, in which unnamed Israeli military officials confirmed that they have found no evidence that Hamas is systematically stealing humanitarian aid. Despite Israel’s long-standing public narrative, the officials acknowledged that the UN-led distribution system has largely succeeded in delivering aid to civilians, even under severe restrictions.
They noted that the UN’s centralized supply chain and direct distribution model inside Gaza were in fact more secure and less vulnerable to interference than other mechanisms. Yet, Israel continues to use the claim of Hamas theft to justify tight control over all incoming aid and to block land crossings.
Last May, Cindy Hensley-McCain, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), also confirmed that her agency had seen no evidence of Hamas stealing aid. Her comments added to a growing body of international testimony rejecting Israeli accusations as politically motivated and misleading.
At the same time, the humanitarian situation keeps getting worse. Nearly a quarter of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents are now facing famine-like conditions, according to the WFP. Thousands, including children, are suffering from severe malnutrition, and both the World Health Organization and doctors in Gaza have confirmed rising deaths from starvation.
A Crisis Manufactured by Blockade and Misinformation
Critics argue that Israel’s aid policy is driven not by humanitarian concerns but by military and political calculation. Israel recently announced it would allow limited humanitarian aid, including air drops in coordination with international agencies, but aid organizations dismissed the move as performative and inadequate.
Far from responding to humanitarian appeals, observers say Israel uses aid as a strategic tool to polish its international image, reframe the conflict on its terms, and avoid pressure to lift the siege on Gaza. “It’s part of a broader media campaign aimed at whitewashing the occupation while managing, rather than ending, the famine,” said one regional aid worker.
UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma told The New York Times that Israeli air drops “will not end” the famine. Humanitarian agencies continue to insist that only full and sustained access through land crossings can prevent mass starvation.
Despite growing international, UN, and Palestinian warnings, Israel has kept Gaza’s border crossings closed to humanitarian, medical, and relief aid since March 2, escalating a starvation policy that many rights groups have described as deliberate and systematic.
With 133 Palestinians, including 87 children, already confirmed dead from hunger-related causes since October, humanitarian leaders say the root of the crisis is not mismanagement by Hamas but Israel’s siege and misinformation.
“This isn’t a breakdown of logistics,” Lazzarini emphasized. “It’s the result of a calculated strategy to discredit aid agencies, isolate Gaza, and shift blame while Palestinians starve.”
