U.N. suspends aid deliveries to Gaza

The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees suspended aid to the Gaza Strip on Friday, accusing Hamas of stealing a delivery of humanitarian supplies for the second time this week.

The announcement by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency deepened tensions between the international body that assists the majority of Gaza’s 1.5 million people and the Islamic militant group that controls the coastal strip.

United Nations officials say Gaza’s needs are especially dire since Israel’s three-week military offensive against Hamas, which killed nearly 1,300 people, mostly civilians, displaced thousands and caused widespread destruction.

UNRWA said it suspended aid deliveries to Gaza after the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Affairs stole 10 truckloads of flour and rice delivered to Gaza on Thursday. Earlier in the week, Hamas police took thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents.

“Hamas has got to hand back all the aid that they have taken and they have to give credible assurances that this will not happen again,” said UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness.

Gunness said the agency, which maintains “working level contacts” with Hamas, had filed a protest with the government. He said that UNRWA would continue to distribute aid from its existing supplies in Gaza but they are running thin. About 80% of residents in Gaza rely on the U.N. agency.

Hamas Social Affairs Minister Ahmed Kurd dismissed Thursday’s incident as a “misunderstanding” and expressed hope the dispute would soon be resolved.

“We welcome all aid, whether from UNRWA or international organizations,” he said. “Any international organization that wants to help or build in Gaza, we have no conditions, come to Gaza, and we will provide security, safety and calm.”