A man identified as a Palestinian who lives in Gaza told the Israel Defense Forces in an audio tape that Hamas has direct control over the United Nations group that coordinates the delivery of humanitarian aid to the territory.
In recordings of the phone call, obtained by The Post, the man accused the troubled Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, of being under the power of Hamas, and told an IDF officer that the terrorist group had been hoarding all supplies.
“The situation is terrible because humanitarian people, those responsible for humanitarian aid, are thieves,” the frustrated Gaza resident said in the recording.
“Hamas has the workers of the UNRWA administration in its hands and manages UNRWA,” he alleges. “Since the day when [Hamas] “When they came to power, they took control of everything.”
The man also claimed that Hamas has ensured that incoming humanitarian supplies are distributed first to its own people and not to the more than one million civilians who have been displaced by the war.
Palestinian refugees are allegedly being left to fend for themselves due to Hamas’s influence over the main humanitarian aid organization. ZUMAPRESS.com UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini has been accused of having Hamas agents among the group’s top brass. AP
An IDF official told The Post that the call between the soldier and the civilian was recorded when the officer was making his rounds to inform Palestinians where to evacuate and look for relief supplies as Israel continues its bombing of Gaza.
The allegations, which reveal civilian frustration over the lack of aid reaching Gaza amid the war, were just the latest in a disturbing series of discoveries made by Israeli forces during their offensive, including the presence of bags with UNRWA label carried by Hamas. agents, the IDF official said.
UNRWA did not respond to the Post’s request for comment on Sunday.
The group’s stated mission is to “provide assistance and protection to registered Palestinian refugees.”
He has previously faced accusations of providing support to the terrorist group.
UNRWA, officially dedicated to humanitarian aid, has long faced criticism for allegedly providing support to the terrorist group.
Palestinian mourners mourn the death of their loved ones in an Israeli airstrike on Monday. ZUMAPRESS.com Much of the Palestinian enclave has been reduced to rubble and aid is arriving slowly. ZUMAPRESS.com
In November, an Israeli hostage freed by Hamas during a temporary lull in fighting said he was held for 50 days in the attic of a UNRWA teacher, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The IDF has said it has found Hamas tunnels near UNRWA schools.
UNRWA has repeatedly denied accusations that it is affiliated with the terrorist group.
Hamas has been accused of stealing aid supplies intended for more than a million Palestinians displaced by the war. ZUMAPRESS.com
The US House Foreign Affairs Committee is expected to launch an investigation into UNRWA, according to three committee members.
“There is ample evidence of a troubling connection between UNRWA and Hamas, and it is much deeper than previously known,” said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), a senior member of the committee. “Congress must now investigate and uncover the extent of what UNRWA knew, what it did and what it may be hiding from the world.”
While the United States suspended aid to UNRWA under the Trump administration in 2018, President Biden renewed funding in 2021, deploying $153 million in aid.
The United States has provided at least $730 million since Biden took office.
The IDF said it would be more than happy to cooperate with any US investigation into UNRWA.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn