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Hamas exploits humanitarian aid

Hamas exploits humanitarian aid

Bangkok Post3 days ago
Across Gaza, humanitarian aid is urgently needed. Yet much of it fails to reach the people for whom it is intended. Instead, international assistance is routinely hijacked by Hamas -- a reality enabled by the troubling complicity of the United Nations.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not simply a byproduct of war. It is, in many ways, a strategy. Hamas deliberately engineers civilian suffering to preserve its rule, gain international sympathy, and pressure Israel diplomatically. The UN, by continuing to operate through Hamas-controlled channels, not only fails to stop this abuse -- it legitimises it.
Instead of being freely distributed, large portions of aid, mostly funded by Western nations, are diverted by Hamas. The group seizes shipments, hoards essential supplies, and resells them at inflated prices to desperate civilians. The profits fund Hamas' terrorist infrastructure, including salaries for fighters and weapons used not only against Israel but also to suppress dissent within Gaza.
There is credible evidence, including reports from within Gaza, of Hamas enforcing its control through brutal means, beating or shooting civilians who try to access food or medical supplies outside the terror group's channels. Meanwhile, the UN continues to rely on the same compromised delivery networks.
On Sunday, Israel implemented a humanitarian pause in designated civilian areas and corridors to ensure safe aid delivery. In the preceding weeks, hundreds of aid trucks were allowed into Gaza, positioned in coordination with the UN for collection and distribution. Yet many of these trucks remain idle, their contents untouched. The UN must act without further delay or excuse. Food is rotting. Medicine is expiring. People are waiting.
Israel categorically rejects the "starvation" propaganda promoted by Hamas. No policy of starvation exists. The humanitarian pauses and aid corridors are part of Israel's own initiative, not the result of international pressure, but a decision made to prevent Hamas from turning humanitarian issues into political weapons.
At the same time, while Israel opens humanitarian channels, Hamas continues to block or attack them. On July 23, Hamas fired a rocket at an aid distribution centre in southern Gaza. Civilians seeking help through independent aid groups like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have been met with violence. In just two months, the GHF, operating with Israeli facilitation, has delivered over 90 million meals directly to civilians, bypassing Hamas' grip. Unsurprisingly, this initiative has been met with hostility from the terror group.
Unfortunately, the UN ignores alternative distribution models like GHF and insists on working through existing Hamas-influenced systems. The result? Continued shortages, misused resources, and a population caught between terror and neglect.
Hamas applies the same manipulative tactics in ceasefire negotiations and hostage talks. It prolongs the conflict while blaming Israel for the consequences, holding both Gazan and Israeli hostages hostage to its political goals.
Let us be clear: the suffering in Gaza today is not just a humanitarian tragedy -- it is a manufactured crisis. Hamas wants civilians to suffer. It is a deliberate strategy to maintain power and erode Israel's legitimacy on the world stage.
This is not just Israel's problem. It is a moral test for the international community.
As long as the UN continues to enable Hamas' exploitation of aid, it becomes an accomplice in prolonging conflict and human suffering.
It is time to break this cycle. The international community must hold Hamas accountable and demand that the UN stop serving as a conduit for terror. Humanitarian aid must serve its true purpose: saving lives, not funding those who destroy them.
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Hamas exploits humanitarian aid
Hamas exploits humanitarian aid

Bangkok Post

time3 days ago

  • Bangkok Post

Hamas exploits humanitarian aid

Across Gaza, humanitarian aid is urgently needed. Yet much of it fails to reach the people for whom it is intended. Instead, international assistance is routinely hijacked by Hamas -- a reality enabled by the troubling complicity of the United Nations. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not simply a byproduct of war. It is, in many ways, a strategy. Hamas deliberately engineers civilian suffering to preserve its rule, gain international sympathy, and pressure Israel diplomatically. The UN, by continuing to operate through Hamas-controlled channels, not only fails to stop this abuse -- it legitimises it. Instead of being freely distributed, large portions of aid, mostly funded by Western nations, are diverted by Hamas. The group seizes shipments, hoards essential supplies, and resells them at inflated prices to desperate civilians. The profits fund Hamas' terrorist infrastructure, including salaries for fighters and weapons used not only against Israel but also to suppress dissent within Gaza. There is credible evidence, including reports from within Gaza, of Hamas enforcing its control through brutal means, beating or shooting civilians who try to access food or medical supplies outside the terror group's channels. Meanwhile, the UN continues to rely on the same compromised delivery networks. On Sunday, Israel implemented a humanitarian pause in designated civilian areas and corridors to ensure safe aid delivery. In the preceding weeks, hundreds of aid trucks were allowed into Gaza, positioned in coordination with the UN for collection and distribution. Yet many of these trucks remain idle, their contents untouched. The UN must act without further delay or excuse. Food is rotting. Medicine is expiring. People are waiting. Israel categorically rejects the "starvation" propaganda promoted by Hamas. No policy of starvation exists. The humanitarian pauses and aid corridors are part of Israel's own initiative, not the result of international pressure, but a decision made to prevent Hamas from turning humanitarian issues into political weapons. At the same time, while Israel opens humanitarian channels, Hamas continues to block or attack them. On July 23, Hamas fired a rocket at an aid distribution centre in southern Gaza. Civilians seeking help through independent aid groups like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have been met with violence. In just two months, the GHF, operating with Israeli facilitation, has delivered over 90 million meals directly to civilians, bypassing Hamas' grip. Unsurprisingly, this initiative has been met with hostility from the terror group. Unfortunately, the UN ignores alternative distribution models like GHF and insists on working through existing Hamas-influenced systems. The result? Continued shortages, misused resources, and a population caught between terror and neglect. Hamas applies the same manipulative tactics in ceasefire negotiations and hostage talks. It prolongs the conflict while blaming Israel for the consequences, holding both Gazan and Israeli hostages hostage to its political goals. Let us be clear: the suffering in Gaza today is not just a humanitarian tragedy -- it is a manufactured crisis. Hamas wants civilians to suffer. It is a deliberate strategy to maintain power and erode Israel's legitimacy on the world stage. This is not just Israel's problem. It is a moral test for the international community. As long as the UN continues to enable Hamas' exploitation of aid, it becomes an accomplice in prolonging conflict and human suffering. It is time to break this cycle. The international community must hold Hamas accountable and demand that the UN stop serving as a conduit for terror. Humanitarian aid must serve its true purpose: saving lives, not funding those who destroy them.

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