UNRWA refuting the Hamas warehouse heist just follows allegations of going easy on Hamas

On Monday, October 16, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) shared a post on social media platform X, accusing Hamas of looting food and medical supplies from its premises in Gaza City, in the middle of a humanitarian crisis.

The post said the Hamas-run health ministry had loaded the supplies onto trucks.

The post also said, "UNRWA received reports that yesterday a group of people with trucks purporting to be from the Ministry of Health of the de facto authorities in Gaza, removed fuel and medical equipment from the agency's compound in Gaza City."

ALSO READ: First-ever Hamas hostage video: Kidnapped Israeli woman pleads for release

Shortly after the post was shared, it was deleted too.

• UNRWA, the UN body later refuted the allegations, posting, "With regards to reports on social media of looting of a UNRWA warehouse, UNRWA would like to confirm that no looting has taken place in any of its warehouses in the Gaza Strip."
• The agency further explained that the images circulating on social media were related to the movement of basic medical supplies from the UNRWA warehouse to health partners. It did not specify who these partners were.

What does one make of the UNRWA going back?

• The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shared screenshots of the deleted UNRWA posts on social media and criticized Hamas and said, that the loot showed a lack of concern for the Gazas, who are facing a humanitarian crisis.
• Israel's Energy Minister, Israel Katz, also reacted to the deleted posts, saying, "Hamas is robbing the 'humanitarian aid' to the Palestinian people. There's no reason to give them anything until we eliminate Nazi Hamas."

ALSO READ:  Gaza in ruins, death toll soars after Israeli airstrikes, Biden warns Netanyahu

What's UNRWA?

• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is a UN agency that provides humanitarian aid and essential services to Palestinian refugees.
• It is primarily funded by voluntary contributions from UN member states and international donors, with the largest contributors being the United States, the European Union, and several Arab countries.

Well, it is not the first time that the UNRWA has been criticised for dancing to tunes of Hamas. Not just Hamas, various factions of the Israeli government have voiced that the UN agency is 'scared of disappointing' its 'terrorist friends'.

ALSO READ: Hamas's attack on Israel isn't just about Palestine, they want a piece of Arab-Israeli normalisation too

• Accusations of connections between UNRWA and Hamas have surfaced many times over the years, including claims of Hamas members or sympathisers among UNRWA staff. These allegations have been the subject of major controversies.
• Reportedly, there was a case of threats too, where a Hamas had threatened the UN staff in Gaza after weapons were found in three UN schools, meant to shelter homeless Gazans in 2014.
• There had been debates about the content of textbooks used in UNRWA schools, with Hamas unhappy with Jewish historical connections to the region being taught in the schools.

ALSO READ: How did Hamas come to power in Gaza? Who funds them?

• Critics have argued that UNRWA's long-time presence and operation in the region has led to inflexibility, resistance to adapting to changing political environments, and a reluctance to transfer responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority. According to an Al Jazeera report of 2019, "UNRWA'S ethics office had alleged abuses of authority by the organisation’s senior management team.
• The definition of refugees under UNRWA's mandate has also been criticised because of their narrow definition of a refugee.
• Some argue that UNRWA's focus on relief rather than resettlement has hindered the development of civil society among Palestinian refugees and that Palestinians should be given the responsibility to build their society.
• According to a report, in 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced the disbandment of the UNRWA, alleging that it was fueling anti-Israel sentiments and prolonging the predicament of Palestinian refugees.
• Next year, in 2018, he reportedly praised the Trump administration's decision to cut aid to UNRWA and also called to dismantle it.

ALSO READ: Why is Ireland the only European country voicing its support for Palestine?