UNRWA’s Looting Claims
At the start of the week, the UN’s Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Palestine took to X to accuse the Hamas terrorists of stealing medical equipment, fuel, and food from its facilities in Gaza. However, the agency has since taken down the post and is now refuting the claim.
In its latest post, UNRWA states that the reports making rounds on the Internet regarding the looting of its premises are false. The agency says photos seen on social media showing the movement of items were its officials transferring the products to its partners within Gaza.
The Deleted Post
@IDF, the official X account of Israel Defense Forces, captured a screenshot of the UNRWA post before the agency deleted it. The post read, “UNRWA was informed that on October 13, people claiming to work for Gaza’s Ministry of Health entered the agency’s premises and removed medical equipment and fuel.”
UNRWA then said that its employees were forced to evacuate the agency’s headquarters following the incident, and since then, they have been unable to access the facilities. Moreover, UNRWA claimed that security cameras within its headquarters compound were destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces has said the UNRWA’s post shows the Hamas fighters do not care about Gazans. In addition, the Israeli military agency has claimed that the stolen fuel was enough to power water desalination facilities in Gaza for a week.
Israel Katz, Israel’s Minister for Energy, also shared UNRWA’s deleted post and said there was no reason to give access to humanitarian aid to Gaza if Hamas was stealing the donated items. Katz said the only way help could reach Gazans was after Hamas terrorists were eliminated.
Day 13 of the Israel-Hamas War
Thursday marks the 13th day of war between Israel and Hamas. According to Israel Defense Forces, over 1,300 Israelis have lost their lives. Hamas-managed health ministry, on the other hand, reports that more than 2,700 people in Gaza have died since October 7.
Ahmed al-Mandhari, the World Health Organization Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, says hospitals in Gaza need urgent medical aid; Otherwise, doctors may have to start preparing death certificates for hospitalized patients.
