The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) released a statement Monday accusing people who claimed to be from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry of stealing fuel and medical equipment intended for humanitarian use.
UNRWA tweeted that they “received reports that yesterday a group of people with trucks purporting to be from the Ministry of Health of the de facto authorities in #Gaza removed fuel and medical equipment from the Agency’s compound” in Gaza City. (RELATED: Biden Says It Would Be ‘Big Mistake’ For Israel To Occupy Gaza, Hamas Doesn’t Represent Palestinians)
🛑STATEMENT 👇@UNRWA received reports that yesterday a group of people with trucks purporting to be from the Ministry of Health of the de facto authorities in #Gaza, removed fuel and medical equipment from the Agency’s compound in 📍#GazaCity
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 16, 2023
“[F]uel & other types of material are kept for strictly humanitarian purposes – any other use is strongly condemned,” UNRWA noted.
Security cameras that cover the entrance / exit to the @UNRWA compound were damaged further to blasts from the conflict in previous days & ceased to operate.@UNRWA fuel & other types of material are kept for strictly humanitarian purposes – any other use is strongly condemned.
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 16, 2023
Live update: UN agency accuses Hamas of stealing fuel, medications from its Gaza premises https://t.co/6PLQ3PgeWF . Click to read ⬇️
— TOI ALERTS (@TOIAlerts) October 16, 2023
Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, have been the “de facto authorities” of Gaza since 2007, and according to the Times of Israel, the Gaza Health Ministry is a “Hamas-run” agency.
Hamas has a history of stealing aid meant for Gazan civilians, which prompted then-Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon to suspend humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip in 2009.
UNRWA deleted this tweet thread, but UN sources and Israeli officials tell me the incident did happen pic.twitter.com/U130PAWZWp
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) October 16, 2023