Hamas militants stormed a United Nations food distribution warehouse in Jabalia on Saturday and assaulted two drivers delivering humanitarian supplies to a population facing widespread hunger, according to the World Food Programme. The raid on the Abu Rashid distribution point marks the latest in what UN officials describe as a systematic pattern of violence against aid operations in Gaza, where civilians have endured what one senior diplomat called "immense suffering."
United Nations Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov condemned the incident on Sunday, citing a "dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction, including smuggling attempts, targeting and abusing humanitarian operations" by what he called "de facto authorities" — a reference to Hamas that stopped short of naming the group directly. The assault on aid workers comes as Gaza's civilian population depends almost entirely on international humanitarian assistance for survival.
Humanitarian Access Under Dual Pressure
Alakbarov's statement highlighted two separate threats to aid delivery in Gaza. He said Israel's expanding control of territory was reducing the space available to civilians and making it harder for humanitarian assistance to move safely. "The expansion of areas under Israeli control is further reducing the space available to civilians, making it imperative that humanitarian assistance is able to move safely and reach people in need without interference," he wrote.
The UN official invoked international humanitarian law, noting that "all parties must respect and protect humanitarian personnel, facilities and relief supplies, and refrain from actions that obstruct humanitarian operations." He added, "The people of Gaza have already endured immense suffering. They cannot be subjected to further delays or disruptions in the delivery of life-saving assistance. I reiterate that humanitarian organizations must be able to carry out their work safely, independently, impartially and without fear of intimidation or violence."
Israeli Military Authority Cites Hamas Exploitation
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, COGAT — the Israeli military body responsible for civilian coordination in Palestinian areas — also condemned Saturday's raid, framing it as part of a broader pattern. "This constitutes further clear evidence that Hamas cynically exploits the humanitarian space and the aid intended for the residents of the Gaza Strip for its own purposes," COGAT wrote in a statement.
The Israeli authority argued that aid was entering Gaza but that Hamas was undermining distribution. "The facts are clear: humanitarian aid is entering the Gaza Strip. Hamas is the party undermining the distribution mechanisms, seizing humanitarian aid, and preventing it from reaching the civilian population," COGAT said.
Pattern of Obstruction
The assault on aid workers reflects a troubling dynamic in which Gaza's civilian population — caught between Israeli military control and Hamas governance — faces barriers to receiving life-saving assistance from multiple directions. Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that obstruction of aid, whether through violence, bureaucratic delays, or territorial restrictions, compounds the suffering of a population with few means of escape.
The World Food Programme, which operated the raided warehouse, has documented widespread food insecurity in Gaza. Aid workers delivering supplies face risks from both armed groups seeking to control distribution and the broader security environment created by ongoing conflict. Saturday's attack on drivers delivering food underscores the precarious conditions under which humanitarian operations now function in the territory.
Why This Matters:
The assault on UN aid workers in Jabalia reveals a grim reality: Gaza's civilians face threats to their survival not only from military operations and territorial control but from the very armed groups claiming to represent them. When humanitarian workers can't safely deliver food to a starving population, the result isn't a political setback — it's death by deprivation. The incident also illustrates the impossible position of aid organizations operating under both Israeli military authority and Hamas governance, each of which the UN says obstructs assistance in different ways. For Gaza's two million residents, the question isn't who's more to blame for blocking aid. It's whether anyone will be held accountable for the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding while the world watches. International humanitarian law exists precisely to prevent this — but only if enforced.