United States Central Command posted a video of what it said was “suspected Hamas operatives looting an aid truck traveling as part of a humanitarian convoy delivering needed assistance from international partners to Gazans in northern Khan Yunis” on Friday.
This important development was posted on behalf of the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), which was established this past month as an outgrowth of the ceasefire deal agreed to in Egypt.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that "Hamas continues to deprive the people of Gaza of the humanitarian aid they desperately need.
"This theft undermines international efforts in support of President Trump’s 20 Point Plan to deliver critical assistance to innocent civilians," he added. "Hamas is the impediment. They must lay down their arms and stop their looting so that Gaza can have a brighter future."
The CMCC is supposed to help stabilize Gaza in line with requirements set forth by the US-brokered deal. US Central Command personnel arrived in Israel in October to take part in the initiative, which includes about 40 countries.
Eventually, this is supposed to pave the way for international involvement in Gaza to ensure that the peace progresses with Hamas disarmed and replaced as a government. Hamas continues to control around half of Gaza. Israel has accused the terrorist group of twice attacking IDF soldiers in deadly incidents in which three soldiers were killed.
"US Central Command is confirming what everyone in Gaza has known, but was denied for two years by international journalists, activists, politicians, NGOs, and supposed 'experts'," wrote Palestinian analyst Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib.
"Hamas has been systematically stealing, looting & siphoning aid meant for suffering Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Footage from an American surveillance drone monitoring the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel captured footage of a specific example that shows Hamas in the act."
"What makes the conclusion of the video 100% is the presence of a pick-up truck full of Hamas operatives, passing by the truck as the knocked-out driver is being thrown in the median divider of the road. These are the pick-up trucks that Hamas's "police" and enforcers use to roam around Gaza, execute, murder, kidnap, torture, and disappear people."
"Stuffing Gaza full of aid and goods, only for Hamas's terrorists to steal, sell, or tax such items as a means of making money and staying a relevant fighting force, is never going to work as a long-term strategy. The issue isn't about a shortage of aid; it's about who will access this aid. There is no lasting stability or peace until Hamas is removed from Gaza, a step that will require the use of force against this fascist militia."
Documenting Hamas crimes
The fact that US Central Command is now putting out documentation about suspected Hamas involvement in looting aid is an important development. For many years, international organizations involved in Gaza did not document Hamas’s crimes. Hamas was able to infiltrate many institutions this way and also build massive numbers of tunnels and rockets.
The new report from US Central Command includes a video posted on X/Twitter. It noted that “the coordination center was alerted through video surveillance from a US MQ-9 aerial drone flying overhead to monitor implementation of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.” This also shows how the US is now involved in the skies over Gaza using drones.
The report says that the suspected Hamas “operatives attacked the driver and stole the aid and truck after moving the driver to the road’s median. The driver’s current status is unknown. Over the past week, international partners have delivered more than 600 trucks of commercial goods and aid into Gaza daily. This incident undermines these efforts.”
The CENTCOM report went on to note that “nearly 40 nations and international organizations represented at the CMCC are working together to help flow humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance into Gaza.”
The first steps are being taken in Gaza to coordinate a new era for the region. This involves the Red Cross assisting in Hamas’s transfer of the remains of hostages. It also involves the Egyptians helping. However, many countries appear reluctant to actually send troops into Gaza.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.