The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has analyzed over 150 reported incidents involving the theft or loss of US-funded humanitarian aid in war-torn Gaza and found no evidence of widespread diversion by Hamas, according to a presentation reviewed by ABC News. The analysis, compiled before USAID ceased independent operations on July 1, examined alleged incidents of fraud, abuse, and waste between October 2023 and last May.
The findings appear to contradict the Trump administration’s claims that Hamas has regularly interfered with aid distribution, assertions used to justify its support for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The GHF took over most of the aid distribution system in Gaza on May 27, after an 11-week Israeli blockade.
However, a coalition of more than 100 organizations warned this week that “mass starvation” is spreading in Gaza with supplies now totally depleted. USAID officials say their findings indicate that in most cases involving the loss of aid, the perpetrator could not be definitively identified.
The Israel Defense Forces denied the report, stating that it ignores clear evidence of Hamas exploiting humanitarian aid to sustain its fighting capabilities. The State Department also pushed back on the analysis, citing “endless video evidence” of Hamas looting and members of the aid-industrial complex reporting instances of self-distribution as a cover-up. Despite this, no evidence of widespread aid diversion by Hamas has been provided by the Trump administration.
The ongoing Gaza war erupted after Hamas led a surprise terror attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/usaid-analysis-finds-evidence-widespread-aid-diversion-hamas/story?id=124092822