IDF: U.N. enabling Hamas through aid mismanagement in Gaza

"The Israeli military claims that United Nations agencies operating in Gaza have enabled Hamas to hijack humanitarian aid and distort global perception, alleging that the aid system has become both operationally dysfunctional and politically compromised.

In a closed-door background briefing at the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, a senior Israeli security official presenting the position of the defense establishment said the UN had ‘failed the test,’ allowing Hamas to shape the international narrative around humanitarian need in a way that advances the terror group’s strategic objectives...

One of the army’s core grievances is the UN’s reliance on local staff. ‘The UN doesn’t have the capacity to distribute. They hire locals,’ he said, noting that many of those individuals are directly affiliated with Hamas or operate under coercion. ‘Why are they not bringing international teams? They’re allowed. The IDF is asking them to bring them.’ He emphasized that most NGOs present in the Strip had little or no operational experience in Gaza and lacked training in military coordination.

The military further accused Hamas of turning humanitarian relief into a revenue and smuggling channel. ‘Eighty percent of the aid is looted — by Hamas, by gangs affiliated with Hamas or by civilians under their control,’ the official said. ‘Hamas defined that 15 to 25% of all aid will be automatically intercepted.’ According to the briefing, civilians are taxed at distribution sites, trucks are redirected or seized, and goods are sold to finance the group’s operations.

The army highlighted the case of Razi Hamed, a Hamas official based in Egypt, who allegedly buys flour and other supplies, then reroutes them to Gaza under the guise of NGO donations. ‘He takes money and moves it to Gaza. He tells Hamas which trucks to steal,’ the official said. Egypt was described as the central point of smuggling, with the system relying on what the military called ‘trusted families.’...

The official also cited recent examples of Hamas operatives disguising themselves as civilians or humanitarian workers. In one case, an individual presented himself to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as a physiotherapist and was hired as a messenger without undergoing proper vetting. ‘He lied to MSF and got hired without checks. He was a terrorist,’ the official said. After the man was killed, MSF reportedly stated publicly that Israel had struck a civilian. However, according to the official, internal communications within the organization later acknowledged the error.

‘They asked not to tell international media they had hired a terrorist,’ he said..."