An investigation by the United States has revealed no evidence that Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, is looting aid supplies sent to the Palestinian territory. Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza on March 2, under the ongoing genocide that began on October 7, 2023. Israel has been obstructing the entry of food and humanitarian aid needed for the starving people in Gaza. Currently, only a small amount of food is being allowed in through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This is an organization created in collaboration with the US, Israel’s biggest supporter, to bring the food distribution work under Israeli control. The organization was set up to operate under Israeli military supervision, claiming that Hamas was looting aid supplies.
This previously unreported investigation was conducted in June by an agency within the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It examined 156 incidents of reported aid looting by various US aid organizations between October 2023 and May of this year. Reuters reported, citing the report, that there was no evidence that Hamas had improperly benefited from the aid supplies provided by the US to Gaza. Contradicting the findings in the report, the US State Department claimed that there is video evidence of Hamas looting aid supplies. However, these videos have not been shared.
These findings have been shared with the USAID Inspector General’s Office and foreign officials specializing in the Middle East, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Due to Israel’s restrictions on aid entering Gaza, international aid organizations have expressed concern about the severe difficulties Gaza’s residents face in obtaining food, warning that they will soon begin to starve to death. This warning has now become a reality, with journalists and humanitarian aid workers, like ordinary Gaza residents, enduring extreme hunger.
According to the UN, over 1,000 vulnerable Palestinian civilians have been killed in attacks on crowds gathering at GHF aid distribution centers. The investigation stated that of the 156 reported incidents of aid looting, 44 were directly caused by Israeli negligence. The report highlighted that a main reason for many of these incidents was Israel’s decision to route aid trucks through areas at risk of looting, despite warnings.
