Hamas Denies CENTCOM Footage Showing Aid-Truck Looting, Accuses US and Israel of Political Motives

Hamas rejects US accusation of aid-truck looting

Hamas has rejected claims by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) that members of the group looted an aid truck in the Gaza Strip, calling the footage "fabricated" and politically motivated. CENTCOM released drone video it said showed suspected Hamas operatives taking goods from a truck that was part of a humanitarian convoy in northern Khan Younis on October 31.

Hamas: "These accusations are unfounded and are being used to justify further reductions of already limited humanitarian aid while covering up the international community’s failure to end the blockade and the starvation imposed on civilians in Gaza."

Hamas said that "all manifestations of chaos and looting ended immediately after the withdrawal of the [Israeli] occupying forces," and accused Israel of having sponsored gangs that orchestrated the disorder. The group also stated that more than 1,000 Palestinian police and security personnel have been killed and hundreds wounded while trying to protect humanitarian convoys and ensure aid reaches civilians.

Hamas further asserted that neither international nor local aid organisations, nor any convoy drivers, have filed complaints alleging looting by Hamas. "This clearly demonstrates that the scene cited by the US Central Command is fabricated and politically motivated to justify blockade policies and the reduction of humanitarian aid," the statement said. It also accused the US of failing to document ongoing Israeli strikes after the ceasefire that, the Hamas statement claimed, killed 254 Palestinians and wounded 595.

CENTCOM said the MQ-9 surveillance drone was operating overhead to monitor implementation of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. In its statement CENTCOM warned that the incident undermines recent relief efforts and said that "over the past week, international partners have delivered more than 600 trucks of commercial goods and aid into Gaza daily."

Hamas disputed that figure for humanitarian aid, saying the average number of actual humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza daily does not exceed 135, while the remainder are commercial shipments containing goods many residents cannot afford. The group repeated calls to increase the number of humanitarian aid trucks and reduce commercial shipments.

CENTCOM: "This incident undermines these efforts."

The parties' dispute comes amid a ceasefire that took effect on October 10 under a 20-point plan that the statement described as brokered by US President Donald Trump. Phase one includes the release of captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and envisions rebuilding Gaza and establishing a new governing mechanism that would exclude Hamas.

Since October 2023, the statement cited counts saying that more than 68,500 people have been killed and over 170,600 wounded across Gaza. These casualty figures are noted here as reported in the statements surrounding the dispute.

Context and implications: The competing claims highlight the challenges of verifying incidents on the ground, the high humanitarian stakes in Gaza, and how footage and messaging from military and political actors can influence aid access and international response.