GAZA: Senior IDF officials told The New York Times they never found proof that Hamas systematically stole humanitarian aid from the United Nations in Gaza – contradicting claims by the Netanyahu government that formed the basis for blocking aid deliveries for months.
According to two senior IDF officers and two other Israelis involved in the matter, the UN's aid distribution system, which Israel had criticized and sought to replace, was "largely effective in providing food to Gaza's desperate and hungry population."
The IDF told the Times it has "well-documented" instances of Hamas exploiting humanitarian aid to fund terrorism, but did not dispute the assessment that there was no evidence of routine theft from the UN.
Haaretz - 26 July 2025