UN accuses Hamas of obstructing Gaza aid, assaulting drivers
What's new: The UN said armed men entered a Jabalia distribution site and a WFP warehouse, forcing aid activity to stop.
A senior United Nations official accused Hamas of obstructing humanitarian deliveries in Gaza and intimidating aid workers after armed men entered a food distribution point in Jabalia and a World Food Programme warehouse. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said the incidents on July 11 and 12 fit a broader pattern of intimidation, violence and smuggling attempts that endangered staff and disrupted food aid. Hamas denied the allegation, saying police were pursuing reports of smuggled cigarettes and mobile phone parts hidden in aid parcels. The dispute comes as Gaza's humanitarian crisis persists despite a ceasefire, with Israeli forces still controlling more than 60% of the territory.