No reports of Hamas stealing aid in Gaza: EU Commission

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - The European Commission on Monday said it has no evidence that Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid in Gaza, and described the humanitarian situation in the enclave as "catastrophic."

Speaking at the midday briefing, Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova responded to a question regarding allegations that the Palestinian group is diverting aid intended for civilians."We don't have any reports of Hamas stealing the aid," she said, stressing the EU’s commitment to independent and neutral humanitarian principles.

"Obviously, we don't hide that the situation in Gaza is catastrophic and very, very complex," Hrncirova added. "Nevertheless, we have a system that is in place. We have an infrastructure how to deliver aid in Gaza, and this is a system that should immediately be used to help people in Gaza who are starving."

Hrncirova underlined that the EU continues to rely on established international humanitarian organizations to deliver aid. "We do not cooperate with Global Humanitarian Foundation because we think that humanitarian aid can never be privatized, politicized, or to become a tool of a conflict," she added.

The Commission continues to call on Israeli authorities to grant access to its aid partners in Gaza.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is a highly controversial Israel-backed US mechanism operating in the Gaza Strip since May 27, where hundreds of aid-seeking Palestinians have been killed at or near its aid-distribution sites by the Israeli army in two months, according to UN officials.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and over 170 NGOs, including Oxfam, Amnesty International, and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), signed a joint statement that calls for an end to “the deadly Israeli distribution scheme, including the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,” and a return to UN-led coordination mechanisms.

Israel has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and created famine-like conditions.