UN Deputy Special Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov said Monday that armed men linked to Hamas forced their way into a food distribution point in Jabalia and entered a World Food Programme warehouse, where two truck drivers were reportedly assaulted. He warned of a broader pattern of violence and intimidation disrupting aid deliveries across Gaza.
Deputy Special Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov on Monday provided explicit details to the rare UN criticism of Hamas, stating that armed men linked to the group broke into a food distribution point in Jabalia and entered a World Food Programme warehouse, where two truck drivers were reportedly assaulted. The remarks, made around midday, add a named official's account to the direct accusations the UN issued earlier in the day.
The first reports of the incident emerged at 10:49 Jerusalem, when COGAT and the UN issued parallel statements accusing Hamas of seizing the Jabalia food distribution center and halting operations. COGAT's statement specifically mentioned that two truck drivers were physically assaulted. The UN's initial statement was described as rare and unusually direct, but lacked a named official. Alakbarov's remarks now provide that attribution and additional detail.
The specific extent of the drivers' injuries and the current status of the WFP warehouse remain unclear. The UN's earlier statement did not name the official, while Alakbarov's account is on the record but still describes the assault as 'reportedly' occurring.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake