Gaza’s Ministry of Interior and National Security has accused the Israeli military of deliberately sabotaging humanitarian relief efforts by targeting local personnel working to secure aid distribution and sponsoring armed groups to hijack supplies intended for civilians. In a strongly worded statement cited by Al Jazeera , the ministry claimed Israeli forces are hindering the safe delivery of aid provided by international organisations, forcing vulnerable populations to risk their lives for basic necessities. “The occupation is targeting our staff who are carrying out their duty of securing

Gaza’s Ministry of Interior and National Security has accused the Israeli military of deliberately sabotaging humanitarian relief efforts by targeting local personnel working to secure aid distribution and sponsoring armed groups to hijack supplies intended for civilians. In a strongly worded statement cited by

Al Jazeera

, the ministry claimed Israeli forces are hindering the safe delivery of aid provided by international organisations, forcing vulnerable populations to risk their lives for basic necessities. “The occupation is targeting our staff who are carrying out their duty of securing aid trucks distributed by international organisations, preventing them from reaching those in need safely,” the statement read. It further accused Israel of “sponsoring networks of thieves and thugs” to seize control of aid deliveries, alleging this has left more than two million Gaza residents without reliable access to food and essential supplies.

“This is a blatant attempt by the occupation to absolve itself of legal responsibility for using starvation as a weapon in times of war,” the ministry said.

The strategy, it added, forces civilians to travel long distances to reach aid points [often at great personal risk] and has resulted in stampedes, overcrowding, and the destruction of aid. “Meanwhile, the occupation directly targets them and commits massacres, killing dozens daily near the routes leading to the entry of aid,” it stated. While Israel has routinely accused Hamas of commandeering aid convoys, an internal Israeli military investigation reportedly found no evidence supporting those claims. Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll continues to mount. At least 41 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip today, according to hospital sources. Among the dead were 19 civilians gunned down near the Netzarim junction in central Gaza as they waited for food distributions. Medical staff at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed the casualties.

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