No proof Hamas stole US-funded aid in Gaza, says USAID study
The findings contradict previous assertions made by both 'Israel' and the US, which had been used to justify a controversial new armed private aid operation.
The USAID study, conducted by one of its bureaus and completed in late June, examined 156 cases of lost or stolen aid reported by USAID partner organizations between October 2023 and May 2025.
According to a slide presentation of the findings, the analysis found "no reports alleging Hamas" benefited from US-supplied aid.
While the study noted it was often unable to attribute incidents of theft to a specific actor, it highlighted that 44 of the 156 incidents were "either directly or indirectly" due to 'Israeli' military actions, including airstrikes or evacuation orders.
A State Department spokesperson disputed the findings, but did not provide corroborating evidence.
The USAID report emerges amidst a deepening food crisis in Gaza, and humanitarian agencies continue to warn of an escalating famine due to deliberate starvation.
This dire situation has made aid distribution points highly dangerous, particularly those managed by the new armed private aid operation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by the US and "Israel."
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 1,083 people have been killed and over 7,275 wounded while attempting to access food at aid distribution points since the war began.
United Nations reports corroborate high casualty figures around these private aid hubs, with UN human rights office OHCHR noting 875 people killed by July 13 while trying to get food, with 674 of those near GHF sites. T
he head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has publicly called the GHF system a "death trap costing more lives than it saves."
The ongoing genocide in Gaza has resulted in more than 59,500 Palestinian fatalities since October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The ministry indicates that over half of those killed are women and children.
The war has severely devastated the enclave's infrastructure, gutted its health system, and led to widespread severe food shortages.
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