Agency chief pushed back against accusations of aid diversion, citing recent USAID report confirming no ‘systemic’ misuse of humanitarian aid provided in Gaza
GAZA — More than 6,000 aid trucks carrying essential food and supplies are stuck in Jordan and Egypt, unable to reach Gaza due to Israeli restrictions, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned Saturday.
“At UNRWA, we have the equivalent of 6,000 trucks in Jordan & Egypt waiting for the green light to get into Gaza,” said agency chief Philippe Lazzarini.
He added that “airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation. They are expensive, inefficient & can even kill starving civilians,” noting that “driving aid through is much easier, more effective, faster, cheaper & safer. It’s more dignified for the people of #Gaza.”
Lazzarini stressed that the only way to address Gaza’s “manmade hunger” crisis is through “political will.”
“Lift the siege, open the gates & guarantee safe movements + dignified access to people in need,” he added.
He also pushed back against accusations of aid diversion, citing a recent report confirming no “systemic” misuse of humanitarian aid provided in Gaza.
An unreported US Agency for International Development (USAID) study examined 156 cases of lost or stolen aid between October 2023 and May 2025, and found no evidence of the Palestinian group Hamas benefiting from US-supplied aid.
The report contradicts claims by Israel and the US, which have been used to justify a controversial new armed private aid operation, which has resulted in more than 1,000 deaths among starving aid-seekers.
“Allow the U.N. including @UNRWA & our partners to operate at scale & without bureaucratic or political hurdles,” the official said.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 59,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. — AA
