Hamas rejects US claim of aid looting in Gaza as 'fabricated'
Hamas has condemned US claims that its members looted an aid truck in Gaza, describing the incident as "staged" to justify Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the enclave.
In a statement on Sunday, the Palestinian movement said that the "false US allegations" were "baseless and unfounded", asserting that no such looting had taken place.
"Washington's continued adoption of the [Israeli] occupation's narrative deepens its unethical bias and makes it a partner in the siege and the suffering of Gaza's civilians," Hamas said.
The United States Central Command (Centcom) released edited drone footage on Friday purportedly showing people looting an aid truck in northern Khan Younis.
Centcom claimed that "suspected Hamas operatives" attacked the driver and stole the truck, but provided no further evidence verifying that the individuals involved were Hamas members.
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Middle East Eye could not independently verify the time or location of the video.
Aid looting by Israeli-backed gangs has been reported widely since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.
Centcom said the footage was taken by a US MQ-9 drone monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel and reporting to the Israeli-based US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC).
Hamas said that neither international nor local organisations, nor aid convoy workers, had filed any report or complaint about the alleged incident.
It added that other mediators and international bodies - which it described as "more neutral and credible" than the US - had not observed anything resembling what Washington claimed.
"The scene cited by Centcom is fabricated and staged to justify blockade policies and the reduction of aid," Hamas said.
The Gaza-based Government Media Office said that the US claims contained "fundamental contradictions" and failed to present evidence.
"The claims fail to specify the day, date, time or exact location of the incident shown in the video, which we clearly doubt - in an apparent attempt to mislead public opinion," the office said.
It also accused Washington of ignoring Israel's ongoing violations of the ceasefire, including the killing of more than 230 Palestinians and the continued siege of Gaza.
"Where is Centcom regarding the daily crimes and assaults committed by the Israeli occupation since the ceasefire came into effect?" the media office asked.
Ramy Abdu, founder and chairman of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, also questioned the authenticity of the US claims, citing the heavily edited nature of the video and lack of supporting evidence.
Abdu noted that the area where the alleged looting took place is "adjacent to Israeli positions and to the militia of Hossam al-Astal, who operates under Israeli protection".
"[Centcom's] tweet spreads misleading propaganda by claiming that 600 trucks enter Gaza daily, while documented international and local reports confirm that the real number barely reaches 145 trucks a day on average," Abdu added in his post on X.
A week into the ceasefire, which began on 11 October, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said incidents of aid looting had "dropped dramatically" as Hamas reimposed security control in Gaza.
He added that trucks began reaching warehouses "without any incidents".
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