'Hamas's propaganda war': Israel battles famine allegations
In late July, Israel announced it would restart humanitarian air drops into Gaza alongside other Arab nations, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a practice that was stopped last year after it destroyed property and hit civilians.
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According to the New York Times, Israel had blockaded food from entering the Strip between March and May, citing concerns that Hamas was pilfering supplies.
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The extent of Hamas's theft of humanitarian aid remains a hotly contested issue. The New York Times reported that the 'Israeli military never found proof that the Palestinian militant group had systematically stolen aid from the United Nations, the biggest supplier of emergency assistance to Gaza for most of the war,' based on anonymous conversations with several Israeli officials.
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However, on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a video purportedly showing Hamas militants with rifles 'looting an aid truck' while civilians gather around.
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Images shared by Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian-American academic and senior fellow with the Atlantic Council, also purport to show Hamas militants stealing aid during an earlier ceasefire. 'Right here before your eyes! But according to NGOs & media, there's still 'no evidence' of theft,' Alkhatib, a vocal critic of Hamas and the Netanyahu government, wrote on X in mid-July.
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In another post the following day, Alkhatib shared a video alleging Hamas police officers stripped, arrested and beat Palestinians who ventured to the GHF aid distribution site.
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Hamas's police used pick-ups & donkey carts to steal aid throughout the Gaza war, especially during the ceasefire earlier this year, where hundreds of trucks entered the Strip daily. Right here before your eyes! But according to NGOs & media, there's still "no evidence" of theft. pic.twitter.com/iGKb6xiOmo
— Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib (@afalkhatib) July 21, 2025
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Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
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Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
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