UN official condemns ‘de facto authorities’ assault on humanitarian workers, fails to name Hamas
“De facto authorities” invaded and assaulted staff at the Abu Rashid food distribution point in Jabalya on Saturday, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov reported on Sunday. Notably, however, he failed to name Hamas in his statement.
According to the UN, Hamas terrorists invaded the warehouse and assaulted two drivers who were delivering humanitarian supplies.
UN condemns attack on aid workers
Asserting that he “strongly” condemned the incident, Alakbarov acknowledged there was a “dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence, and obstruction, including smuggling attempts, targeting and abusing humanitarian operations” being carried out by the “de facto authorities.”
Though Hamas went unnamed in the statement, Alakbarov labeled Israel’s expansive control of the territory as a major threat to humanitarian supplies in the Palestinian territory.
“The expansion of areas under Israeli control is further reducing the space available to civilians, making it imperative that humanitarian assistance is able to move safely and reach people in need without interference,” he wrote. “Under international humanitarian law, all parties must respect and protect humanitarian personnel, facilities and relief supplies, and refrain from actions that obstruct humanitarian operations.”
He also stated: “The people of Gaza have already endured immense suffering. They cannot be subjected to further delays or disruptions in the delivery of life-saving assistance. I reiterate that humanitarian organizations must be able to carry out their work safely, independently, impartially, and without fear of intimidation or violence.”
NGO Monitor criticizes UN statement
Anne Herzberg, the legal adviser of NGO Monitor, told The Jerusalem Post that, while the UN’s statement should be welcomed, “the UN, for far too long, has looked the other way, and oftentimes is even complicit in that aid diversion.”
Herzberg described Alakbarov’s refusal to name Hamas as “troubling,” as was the condemnation of Israel “for its control over Gaza when that is explicitly mandated by the Security Council in the resolution adopting the 20-point plan for Gaza in November of last year.”
The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2803, endorsing the US-backed 20-point comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict in November last year, with 13 votes in favor of the resolution and two abstaining.
“We would hope that the UN will start actively looking into Hamas aid diversion and stop blaming Israel for this continued obstruction of aid to people in need,” she concluded.
COGAT blames Hamas for aid disruption
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) also condemned the incident, noting that it is part of a pattern of intimidation employed by the terrorist group.
“This constitutes further clear evidence that Hamas cynically exploits the humanitarian space and the aid intended for the residents of the Gaza Strip for its own purposes,” COGAT wrote. “The facts are clear: humanitarian aid is entering the Gaza Strip. Hamas is the party undermining the distribution mechanisms, seizing humanitarian aid, and preventing it from reaching the civilian population.”
