WFP: No Evidence Hamas Is Behind Looting of Gaza Aid
Gaza (Quds News Network)- The World Food Programme (WFP) has found no evidence that Hamas is looting humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, according to the UN agency’s executive director.
“No, not at all,” Cindy McCain told U.S. broadcaster CBS, responding to accusations that Hamas looted 15 WFP trucks on Friday as they entered southern Gaza en route to bakeries.
“Listen, these people are desperate, and they see a World Food Programme truck coming in and they run for it,” she added.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with Hamas or any kind of organised crime, or anything. It has simply to do with the fact that these people are starving to death, and so we will continue to go in.”
That day, a police unit was securing the trucks when they encountered a group of looters. As the officers tried to stop the chaos, Israeli warplanes struck the area with eight consecutive missiles, killing six officers and injuring 20 others. The convoy was on its way to a WFP warehouse in Deir al-Balah.
Officials in Gaza have stressed that Israel systematically targets aid convoys and blocks medical supplies. They said this is part of a deliberate strategy to cause starvation and chaos in the besieged territory.
On March 2, Israel announced the closure of Gaza’s main crossings, cutting off food, medical and humanitarian supplies, leading to an unprecedented deterioration of humanitarian conditions, according to reports by human rights organisations who have accused it of using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinains.
Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid meant for civilians. Hamas rejects the charge, saying a number of its own members have been killed securing the trucks from armed looters who are being protected by Israeli forces.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report warned that almost a quarter of the civilian population would face catastrophic levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase Five) in the coming months.
However, after about 80 days of total blockade and starvation and widespread international outrage, Israel announced about a week ago it will allow a very limited passage of aid trucks into the enclave.
Regarding the very limited aid, “this is a drop in the bucket.. we have 50,000 people inside of Gaza that are extremely food insecure and could be on the verge of famine if we don’t help bring them from that,” McCain said.
She added, “During the ceasefire, we were getting in 600 trucks a day. Right now, we are getting in mabe a hundred.”
