Gaza Media Office Denounces U.S. Allegations in Aid Misappropriation Controversy

The Gaza Government Media Office has strongly criticized the United States, accusing it of conducting a “systematic disinformation campaign” regarding claims of looting of humanitarian aid in the Palestinian territory, which is grappling with grave humanitarian challenges.

A statement was released on Saturday following the publication of drone footage by the US Central Command (CENTCOM). The footage alleges, albeit without presenting concrete evidence, to depict members of the Hamas resistance group engaging in theft from an aid truck located in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.

The media office has dismissed the allegation as “fabricated and baseless,” highlighting CENTCOM’s inability to provide specific details regarding the date and location of the alleged aid theft.

“The allegations are entirely unfounded,” the statement asserted. “This is a deliberate effort to undermine the police force, who have lost over 1,000 officers in their mission to safeguard aid deliveries and humanitarian personnel.”

The Government Media Office has issued a press release strongly condemning claims made by the US Central Command concerning the purported looting of an aid truck in Gaza. The statement further accused Israeli forces of intentionally targeting Gaza police officers and volunteers in an effort to foment chaos and incite theft within the besieged area.

The media office has criticized CENTCOM for turning a blind eye to Israel’s repeated breaches of a Gaza ceasefire and the reported killing of 250 Palestinians in the past three weeks.

The measure was criticized as it denounced the Israeli limitations on allowing heavy machinery and bulldozers into the Gaza Strip, which are essential for aiding retrieval operations.

Reports indicate that since the truce took effect on October 10, the daily average of aid trucks entering Gaza is 145. This figure represents 24 percent of the 600 trucks that were stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.

A statement highlighted that the absence of commentary from the US Central Command on the ongoing incidents, coupled with its focus on promoting questionable narratives about Palestinian police forces, underscores an evident bias in favor of the Israeli occupation and raises questions about its credibility.

The statement emphatically denounces what is described as a disinformation campaign, asserting that it seeks to misrepresent the humanitarian situation in Gaza and obscure the continued actions described as crimes by the occupation forces.

The Gaza Media Office has urged truce mediators and guarantor states to pressure the occupying regime into adhering to the agreement’s terms and fulfilling its obligations. Meanwhile, a senior official from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has accused Israel of leveraging humanitarian aid as a tool of warfare against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In the wake of indirect negotiations held in Egypt, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement last month on a Gaza truce plan put forward by Trump.

In the initial stage of the accord, Hamas was obligated to release 20 Israeli survivors along with the bodies of 28 Israelis who had died, in return for Israel’s release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees and the handover of the remains of 360 Palestinians who perished during the conflict in Gaza.

To date, Hamas has transferred all 20 living Israeli captives and the remains of 17 others, while Israel has freed nearly 2,000 Palestinians, allegedly held unlawfully by the government, and has returned the bodies of 225 Palestinians.

Israel’s recent actions in Gaza have reportedly resulted in the deaths of 68,858 Palestinians and injuries to 170,664 individuals, predominantly affecting women and children, since October 7, 2023. The operation has faced criticism for failing to meet its stated objectives.