Hamas has denied allegations from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) that the group looted aid trucks in the Gaza Strip. The accusation followed the release of drone footage by CENTCOM, which claimed to show an aid truck being looted during a humanitarian convoy in northern Khan Younis on October 31.
In a statement, CENTCOM said the drone observed suspected Hamas operatives engaged in looting. It emphasized that the footage was part of ongoing efforts to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
Hamas responded to the allegations by calling them “unfounded” and described them as an attempt to justify the reduction of already limited humanitarian aid. The group accused the international community of failing to end the blockade and the resulting starvation in Gaza. It stated that all instances of chaos and looting ceased after the withdrawal of Israeli forces, suggesting that the occupation was responsible for orchestrating such activities.
The organization also highlighted that over 1,000 Palestinian police and security personnel have been killed and hundreds wounded while protecting aid convoys. It asserted that no international or local institution, nor any driver working with aid convoys, has reported any incidents of looting by Hamas.
Hamas criticized the US for not documenting ongoing Israeli attacks following the ceasefire agreement, which resulted in the deaths of 254 Palestinians and injuries to 595 others. It accused the US of adopting the Israeli narrative, thereby deepening its perceived moral bias and aligning itself with the blockade and suffering of the Palestinian people.
CENTCOM noted that the MQ-9 drone was deployed to monitor the ceasefire. It stated that international partners have delivered more than 600 trucks of commercial goods and aid into Gaza daily. The agency expressed concern that the alleged incident undermines these efforts.
Hamas disputed the figures, claiming that the average number of aid trucks entering Gaza does not exceed 135 per day. It argued that the remaining trucks are commercial shipments that the population cannot afford, despite repeated calls to increase humanitarian aid and reduce commercial cargo.
The ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, was part of a 20-point plan proposed by former US President Donald Trump. Phase one of the agreement involves the exchange of captives for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, alongside plans for the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.
Since the conflict began in October 2023, more than 68,500 people have been killed and over 170,600 injured in Gaza.
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