DaysofPal- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has strongly rejected recent accusations from the Israeli government and the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation GHF, calling them a “smear campaign” designed to shift blame for the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
The controversy erupted after the Israeli Government Advertising Agency released a video claiming that “while Israel cleared hundreds of trucks that crossed into Gaza, the UN refuses to distribute the aid.
These trucks stand idle inside Gaza next to growing stockpiles of supplies. This is deliberate sabotage by the UN.”
UNRWA firmly denied the accusations, calling them baseless and misleading.
Juliette Touma, the agency’s Director of Communications, stated that the claims are “a distraction from the real issue: Israel’s obstruction of aid access.”
She emphasized that there are no idle trucks in Gaza and that the UN is doing everything it can to distribute aid under extremely challenging conditions.
“The challenge is not distribution, it’s getting safe, consistent access under military restrictions and ongoing conflict,” she said.
The accusations come as Gaza descends deeper into famine, whereas the UN and multiple international organizations have described the situation as a “constructed and deliberate famine,” pointing to systemic barriers imposed by Israeli occupation on humanitarian movements.
Reports indicate that more than half of UN aid missions were blocked or delayed between May and July due to Israeli military procedures and a lack of access clearances.
In some cases, aid convoys had to be halted because of looting, which UN officials say would not occur if sufficient aid were allowed in regularly.
UNRWA also criticized the GHF, a recently launched aid mechanism supported by Israel and the U.S., arguing that it undermines neutral humanitarian work.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the GHF model as “politicized, chaotic, and dangerous,” claiming that its aid distribution is selective, sometimes excluding individuals based on biometric data or alleged affiliations.
“This is not humanitarian aid. It’s a tool of control,” said Lazzarini.
The international response has been one of growing alarm, where organizations including the World Food Program, WHO, UNICEF, and over 115 NGOs have condemned the conditions in Gaza and urged for unimpeded humanitarian access.
UNICEF officials warned that children are dying of starvation in real time, and UN staff on the ground report that even their workers are collapsing from hunger. “It’s not just that people are hungry,” one UN source said. “The humanitarian system is on the verge of collapse.”
Several European countries have called for emergency intervention, describing the crisis as “a man-made disaster of unprecedented scale.” With Gaza’s civilian population teetering on the brink, UNRWA is calling for global solidarity and for aid operations to be allowed to proceed based on humanitarian, not political, priorities.
“This is not the time for blame games. It is time for immediate, unhindered humanitarian action.” said Touma.
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