Israel halts Gaza aid for two days over fears of Hamas seizure

Israel has temporarily suspended aid deliveries to Gaza for two days over concerns that humanitarian supplies were being seized by Hamas, a senior Israeli official said on June 26. 

The suspension comes amid rising tensions and controversy over images showing masked men riding on aid trucks in northern Gaza, Caliber.Az writes, citing Western media.

The halt, ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, follows what they described as “new information” suggesting that aid bound for civilians was being diverted by Hamas militants. While details of the intelligence have not been disclosed, video footage circulated on Wednesday showed dozens of masked men — some armed — escorting aid trucks. Most appeared to be carrying sticks, not firearms.

In a joint statement issued late Wednesday, Netanyahu and Katz instructed the military to submit a plan within two days to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians and not Hamas. The temporary halt, the official added, is intended to provide the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) time to revise operational procedures around aid distribution.

There has been no immediate comment from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Defense Ministry, or the IDF regarding the implementation of this directive.

Clans deny Hamas involvement

In response to the video, the Higher Commission for Tribal Affairs — a body representing influential clans in Gaza — said the masked men seen on the trucks were not militants but tribal members safeguarding the delivery of aid.

“These trucks were protected as part of an aid security process managed solely through tribal efforts,” the commission said in a statement. “No Palestinian faction participated in this operation,” it added, referring indirectly to Hamas.

Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 but now controls only parts of the territory after nearly two years of war, has denied any role in intercepting or commandeering aid deliveries.

Throughout the conflict, local clans, civil society groups, and political factions — including Fatah, Hamas’ long-time rival — have assumed responsibility for securing and distributing aid amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis. In the absence of functioning governance structures in many areas, tribal networks made up of extended families linked by blood and marriage have emerged as critical actors in maintaining order and distributing resources.

Background

The Israel-Hamas war has left much of Gaza in ruins and fractured the territory’s fragile social and political structures.  

The conflict, rooted in decades of territorial and political disputes, has seen significant escalation since Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and saw over 250 hostages taken.

Since the onset of war, Israel's retaliatory military operations in Gaza have resulted in over 55,100 Palestinian deaths, predominantly women and children, and over 127,400 injuries, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people – or about 90 per cent of the population – across the Gaza Strip have been displaced during the war. Many have been displaced repeatedly, some 10 times or more. Since the recent displacement orders were issued, more people have been forced to flee in search of safety. 

By Khagan Isayev