Newly revealed data shows how Hamas systematically exploited UN humanitarian aid during the war, using it to smuggle goods and generate millions of dollars—often with the direct cooperation of UN employees.
According to information obtained by 'Israel Hayom', Hamas operated a deliberate mechanism to hijack aid entering Gaza through UN channels, including the World Food Programme (WFP), all while Israel was at war with the terror group. Hamas exploited loopholes in the aid delivery system to smuggle goods such as cigarettes and communication equipment, hiding them in aid trucks.
Throughout 2024, direct “under-the-table” coordination was documented between Hamas smugglers and WFP workers. Hamas repeatedly used WFP aid sacks to smuggle contraband, while pretending the organization was merely a victim of Hamas’s aggression. UN employees were often seen standing by as Hamas terrorists commandeered trucks, redistributed goods themselves, and profited by reselling items or stockpiling them.
In some cases, trucks were rerouted straight to the homes of senior Hamas figures or to warehouses under Hamas control. These operations were never publicly challenged by the UN, even when Hamas openly claimed to have taken over UN facilities for aid distribution. Meanwhile, the UN—under Secretary-General António Guterres—has pressured the U.S.-backed Gaza Relief Fund, which was established to bypass Hamas and deliver aid directly to civilians.
Instead of supporting this new fund, Guterres has reportedly worked to obstruct its operations. Hamas, threatened by the fund’s success, has responded with intimidation. Just last Friday, Hamas issued a direct threat to fund workers, saying: “You are being watched closely. Your actions will have serious consequences. Cease immediately.”
The threat forced the fund to suspend operations for a day. Further reports suggest Hamas continues to fight a daily battle to maintain its grip on aid flow, with Islamic Jihad also receiving a share of officially approved aid deliveries. UN agencies have even hired Hamas members to secure aid trucks—ironically protecting them from Gaza’s own desperate civilians.
This is the extent of the UN’s dysfunction: not only has it failed to stop Hamas’s abuse of humanitarian aid—it has become complicit in it.