The Gaza Strip has once again become the center of a fierce international dispute, this time over allegations made by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) that members of Hamas looted a humanitarian aid truck in Khan Yunis. The Gaza Government Media Office, along with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), has categorically rejected these claims, calling them a “complete fabrication” and part of a wider campaign of misinformation. The controversy has further strained already tense relations between Gaza’s authorities, Israel, and the United States, while raising serious questions about the flow and distribution of humanitarian aid in the war-torn enclave.
On November 2, 2025, CENTCOM released drone footage that it claimed showed Hamas fighters stealing from an aid truck in southern Gaza. However, as reported by the AhlulBayt News Agency, the Gaza Government Media Office quickly dismissed the accusation as “fabricated and baseless,” emphasizing that CENTCOM had failed to specify the date or exact location of the alleged theft. In a strongly worded press release, the office stated, “The accusation is completely false. It is an intentional attempt to discredit the police, who have sacrificed more than 1,000 officers while protecting aid deliveries and humanitarian workers.”
The Gaza Media Office went further, accusing Israeli forces of deliberately targeting Gaza police officers and volunteers in an attempt to “create chaos and encourage theft” throughout the besieged territory. According to their statement, these attacks are designed to undermine local institutions and foster disorder, a claim echoed by Hamas in its own response. The media office argued that the United States, by focusing on unsubstantiated allegations against Palestinian police, is turning a blind eye to Israeli violations of the current ceasefire and the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
“The silence of the US Central Command regarding these daily crimes, and its preoccupation with spreading dubious narratives against the Palestinian police forces, confirms its complete bias towards the Israeli occupation, and its loss of credibility,” the Gaza Media Office declared. This sentiment was reinforced by Hamas, which accused the US of “complicity in Israel’s blockade and moral failure supporting the occupation.” In a particularly scathing rebuke, Hamas stated, “The United States does not need more drones. It needs a conscience — and the courage to stop justifying Israel’s crimes and to enforce the principles of humanity it claims to uphold.”
Both the Gaza authorities and Hamas emphasized that Palestinian police and security forces have been at the forefront of escorting and protecting humanitarian convoys, ensuring that food, medical supplies, and relief materials reach warehouses for fair distribution to civilians across the Strip. The Office underscored the immense sacrifices of Gaza’s police and security forces, who have suffered over 1,000 martyrs and hundreds of injuries while safeguarding aid deliveries amid relentless Israeli bombardment and ground incursions. These figures, they argued, utterly contradict the claims of looting or theft made by CENTCOM.
Adding to the controversy, the Gaza Media Office pointed out that CENTCOM’s statement merely referenced “observed suspected Hamas elements” without providing any concrete evidence, timestamps, or verifiable footage. They questioned the identity of the unnamed “international partners” cited by CENTCOM, noting that no international organization operating in Gaza — including the UN, the Red Crescent, or other relief agencies — has ever reported incidents of police involvement in theft or misappropriation of aid. Instead, according to the office, sporadic looting incidents have been attributed to armed gangs allegedly fostered and protected by the Israeli occupation, which, they say, seeks to sow chaos and undermine public confidence in local institutions.
International organizations, the Gaza Media Office added, have repeatedly commended the cooperation and professionalism of Gaza’s security forces in ensuring aid reaches those in need despite the blockade. The office also dismissed CENTCOM’s mention of an alleged stolen ambulance and truck as a “blatant fabrication” unsupported by any credible recording or proof. The supposed video evidence, they stated, contains no actual footage of theft — a clear indication that the accusation is based on a manufactured narrative designed to tarnish Gaza’s image.
The Gaza Media Office also took issue with CENTCOM’s figures regarding humanitarian operations, clarifying that only about 22 organizations are currently active in Gaza — far fewer than the “nearly 40” cited by CENTCOM — and that most face systematic Israeli restrictions impeding the entry and movement of life-saving aid. Since the Gaza ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, an average of only 145 aid trucks have entered Gaza daily, which is just 24% of the agreed-upon 600 trucks under the ceasefire. Hamas, for its part, stated that only 135 aid trucks currently enter the Strip each day, a fraction of what is needed, and demanded this number be urgently increased.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Media Office condemned Israeli restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery and bulldozers, which are desperately needed to aid in retrieval and rescue efforts across the Strip. The office also highlighted the US’s silence on Israeli ceasefire violations, including the killing and arrest of civilians, repeated military incursions, and the deliberate obstruction of fuel and medical supplies. According to the Gaza Media Office, Israeli forces have killed 250 Palestinians over the past three weeks alone, despite the ceasefire — a figure that Hamas claims is overwhelmingly civilian, at 91%.
The ongoing humanitarian crisis is further compounded by the so-called “yellow line” fire-control zone, which, according to Hamas, effectively seizes over 35 square kilometers of Gaza’s territory. The lack of fuel and food, especially protein-rich items like eggs and meat, has persisted for two years, they said, exacerbating the suffering of Gaza’s population.
The dispute comes in the wake of a recent truce agreement brokered through indirect negotiations in Egypt. According to AhlulBayt News Agency, the plan, proposed by US President Donald Trump, required Hamas to release 20 surviving Israeli captives and 28 bodies of dead Israelis in exchange for Israel freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian abductees and transferring the bodies of 360 Palestinians killed during the Gaza onslaught. So far, Hamas has handed over all 20 living Israeli captives and the remains of 17 others, while Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinians and returned 225 Palestinian bodies.
Despite this progress, the Gaza authorities argue that Israel has failed to fully implement its obligations under the truce, and they have called on international mediators to intervene urgently. The Gaza Media Office’s statement concluded by holding the United States and its Central Command fully responsible for spreading false claims and fueling misinformation that undermines humanitarian work, and by urging the international community to compel Israel to respect the ceasefire and ensure unhindered aid access.
Since October 7, 2023, the cost of the conflict has been staggering. According to Gaza authorities, Israel’s military campaign has killed 68,858 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 170,664 others. With accusations and counter-accusations flying, and the humanitarian situation growing ever more dire, the people of Gaza remain caught in the crossfire of war and propaganda alike.
