UN: Hamas stole from Gaza warehouse

[Yoink 7]

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Hamas police in Gaza broke into a warehouse full of United Nations humanitarian supplies and seized thousands of blankets and food parcels, UN spokesman Chris Gunness said Wednesday, raising the possibility of a rupture between the organization that cares for most of Gaza's residents and the territory's rulers and threatening the flow of badly needed aid.

A Pelestinian man carrying a...

A Pelestinian man carrying a bag of flour given through UNRWA's aid program [illustrative].

Photo: AP

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Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, said Hamas policemen forced their way into an aid warehouse in Gaza City on Tuesday evening and confiscated 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels ready for distribution to 500 families.

"They were armed, they seized this, they took it by force," Gunness said, terming the incident "absolutely unacceptable."

Police confiscated the aid after UNRWA officials refused to voluntarily hand it over to the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Affairs, he said. Similar aid packages had already been distributed to 70,000 residents over the past two weeks.

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Responding to the theft, Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog, who overlooks humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, said the incident was "further proof that Hamas is continuing to make life miserable for the population of Gaza and will use any means to intensify its suffering."

During Operation Cast Lead, Herzog said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon, "Hamas leaders worried about their own welfare and security while totally neglecting the population."

He said that Israel would continue to demand that any aid transferred to the Strip be "directed for the welfare of the civilian population only."

In a statement released Wednesday, UNRWA condemned the theft "in the strongest terms," and demanded that it be "returned immediately." The statement added that the organization "has a strict system of monitoring aid delivery and ensuring that its assistance reaches only the intended beneficiaries," and that officials were present "taking all possible steps to avoid its diversion."

Ahmad Kurd, the Hamas official in charge of the ministry, did not deny the seizure of the aid Wednesday, charging the UN was giving the aid to local groups with ties to Hamas opponents.

"UNRWA did not do what it said it would do, and began distributing its aid to groups that tie their activities to political activism," Kurd said.

UN officials said they were distributing the aid directly to local residents according to a list compiled by community leaders. They said the aid was kept in a local storage facility, guarded by a local UN employee, because the organization's regular warehouses were full.

Tensions between the Islamist group and UNRWA could make it difficult for the international agency to continue providing desperately needed services. The UN agency provides food, education and health care to more than half of Gaza's 1.4 million residents.

"We hope there are no implications for our aid work in Gaza," Gunness said.

Hamas officials said the UN was welcome to continue its operations. But the Hamas government demanded an "immediate apology" from the UN "for spreading false news" about the seizure, Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu said.

Some international donors have expressed concern that funds meant to rebuild Gaza could fall into Hamas' hands, and the UN had been trying to assuage those fears. A donors conference is scheduled to be held in Cairo later this month.

Israeli officials have charged in the past that Hamas routinely confiscates aid meant for needy Gazans.

"We have said in the past that we know Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid and donations from international organizations," said IDF spokesman Peter Lerner.

Gunness said this was the first time Hamas had seized UNRWA supplies, and demanded their immediate return. "Does anyone really think that the Americans, who are our single largest donor, or the Europeans, who are our largest multination donor, would give us aid in the generous way they do if they thought that aid would go to terrorists?" Gunness said.

The United Nations is expected to take a leading role in rebuilding Gaza, because Israel and the international community will not deal with Hamas.

Hamas is under pressure to provide aid to Gazans, who are facing more hardship than ever since Israel's three-week military offensive against terrorists in the Strip, which ended January 18.

The group's ability to provide aid to impoverished residents is crucial to maintaining support for its rule in the territory.

The Hamas Minister of Social Affairs said the group had already distributed $50 million in emergency relief to residents and promised additional cash payments to hardship cases.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority is also sending funds to Gazans, and Prime Minister Salaam Fayad said Wednesday that his government would donate $600 million to help residents of the Strip rebuild.

Fayad said the money would be channeled through commercial banks directly to recipients, bypassing Hamas, and that he expected to be reimbursed by international donors.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Pretty reprehensible.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Hamas officials said the UN was welcome to continue its operations. But the Hamas government demanded an "immediate apology" from the UN "for spreading false news" about the seizure, Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu said.

That's awfully nice of them.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Pretty reprehensible.

But par for the course for brigands (exactly what Hamas is organisation of)