No evidence of Hamas seizing aid entering Gaza: US envoy

JERUSALEM

Pushing back on Israeli fears that aid to Gaza would fall into the hands of Hamas, the US special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues said Saturday that "there is no evidence” that the Palestinian group took for itself the aid sent to the Gaza Strip.

Speaking to reporters in Jordan's capital Amman, David Satterfield said "no attempts by Hamas to seize aid trucks were detected,” adding that the fuel of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, in Gaza “is used for aid trucks, water desalination, and hospitals.”

“There is no evidence that Hamas is seizing or blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip,” Satterfield added.

He also stated that there is an agreed-upon mechanism to bring fuel into Gaza when it is cut off.

This week hospitals in Gaza have reportedly had to close their doors due to a lack of fuel, power, and other necessary supplies.

This week the Israeli army expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Nearly 11,000 people have been killed in the conflict, including 9,488 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

While continuing its cutoff of electricity, fuel, and water supplies to Gaza, this week Israel let in a trickle of humanitarian aid, but far less than what the strip’s 2.3 million residents need to survive.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi