US House Speaker Claims Hamas Stole Aid

(MENAFN) On Sunday, US House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed his distress over the disturbing images coming from Gaza, describing them as "heartbreaking."

However, Johnson placed the blame on the Palestinian group Hamas, accusing them of stealing aid, despite the absence of evidence from the Israeli military.

Speaking to a journalist, Johnson acknowledged the painful images of children suffering from hunger and questioned Israel's decision to pause its military operations in response to the growing international concern about the crisis.

Johnson, in his statement, mentioned having had discussions with Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, along with other Israeli officials.

He emphasized the efforts made by Israel to provide humanitarian assistance, stating, "Israel, since this war began, has supplied over 94,000 truckloads full of food. It’s enough food to feed 2 million people for two years."

He further claimed that Hamas had stolen a significant portion of this food, which he argued was intended for those in dire need.

"In fact, in 2024, the numbers are that Hamas profited over $500 million in stolen food aid that was supposed to go to these poor people who needed it. That's half of their budget. So this is a broken system," he added.

Johnson also suggested that the United Nations should collaborate with Israel to ensure that the food reaches the people who need it the most.

However, Welker challenged his assertion by referring to a report from a newspaper, which stated that the Israeli military had not found evidence of Hamas systematically stealing aid shipments.

According to the report, senior Israeli army officers acknowledged that there was no proof to support the claim that Hamas had systematically stolen humanitarian aid provided by the UN and other organizations during the conflict in Gaza.

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