Armed personnel affiliated with Gaza’s de facto authorities forced their way into a World Food Programme (WFP) distribution point in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on 11 July, assaulting two truck drivers and seizing a warehouse, according to a UN statement. The incident prompted the UN to suspend food distributions at the site, which had been supplying thousands of families daily. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said the raid was “not isolated” but part of an “increasingly dangerous pattern of intimidation, violence and obstruction” targeting humanitarian operations.

Alakbarov’s statement, which did not name Hamas explicitly but referred to “de facto authorities,” drew a sharp response from the Israeli military agency COGAT. It described the raid as “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.” The Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza dismissed the accusations as “unfounded,” asserting that its police and security forces continue to protect aid convoys and distribution centres. The UN official also noted that the expansion of areas under Israeli control was “further reducing the space available to civilians,” making unimpeded humanitarian access imperative.

The incident underscores the precarious environment for aid delivery in a territory where, according to Israeli military assessments, Israel now controls more than 60 percent of the strip, while Hamas retains de facto authority in remaining areas. The UN’s rare direct criticism of the group’s interference with relief operations comes amid a stalled second phase of the ceasefire reached in October 2025, which was to include Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal. Violence has persisted despite the truce: Gaza’s health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable, reports at least 1,098 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire took effect, while the Israeli military says it has lost five soldiers and one civilian contractor over the same period.

Viewed from Jerusalem, the raid reinforces Israel’s long-standing argument that Hamas is the primary obstacle to aid distribution, a claim humanitarian organisations have often countered by pointing to Israeli access restrictions. From the UN’s perspective, the incident highlights a dual pressure: interference by armed groups and a shrinking operational space due to military control. No new enforcement mechanism was announced, but Alakbarov reiterated that all parties must respect and protect humanitarian personnel and supplies under international humanitarian law. The dossier remains open, with aid agencies warning that further disruptions will deepen the already severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.