“Aid sits rotting at the border, Hamas steals what gets in and hoards baby formula — yet the world blames Israel for starvation”
Partly supported. Hamas has been filmed seizing aid and beating people seeking it, and large amounts of aid did pile up uncollected at the crossings. But a US government review found no evidence of systematic Hamas theft of US-funded aid, the reasons aid sat uncollected are disputed between Israel and the UN, the baby-formula warehouse video is a single unverified source, and Israel itself restricted aid — including a total halt from March to May 2025.
Where this claim comes from
A widely shared post by VividProwess on X (August 24, 2025; ~175,000 views), with video of pallets of food in the open:
"Mountains of aid are just sitting in the sun. The UN refuses to let it into Gaza, and when it does, Hamas steals it. Who does the world blame for starvation? Israel."
In December 2025 a related claim spread: Gaza-born activist Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib posted video of a building full of baby formula and children's nutrition drinks, saying Hamas's Health Ministry had hoarded it while children went hungry.
The evidence, item by item
| Evidence | What it shows | Credibility |
|---|---|---|
| IDF drone video, Shujaiya (Dec 2023) | Gunmen taking aid bags from civilians and assaulting them | Real IDF release; not independently verified |
| IDF video (July 2024) | Masked men beating people who tried to enter an aid warehouse; IDF says Gazans identified them as Hamas | IDF release; identification secondhand |
| IDF video (filmed July 25, released July 29, 2025) | Armed men looting an aid truck; Hamas said they were "security personnel" | IDF release; who the men were is disputed |
| US military (CENTCOM) drone video (Oct 31, 2025) | Suspected Hamas operatives looting an aid truck in northern Khan Younis and attacking the driver | US government release; Hamas called it "baseless" and blamed Israel-backed gangs |
| Aid piled up at Kerem Shalom (COGAT photos, 2024–2025) | Hundreds of truckloads waiting on the Gaza side | Photos are real; who is responsible is disputed (below) |
| Baby-formula warehouse (Alkhatib, Dec 2025) | Building full of formula and nutrition drinks, said to be a Health Ministry store | Single source. Alkhatib is a credible Gaza-born critic of Hamas, but no location, date or independent verification found; no response from the ministry found |
| USAID internal review (June 2025) | Of 156 reported thefts or losses of US-funded aid, no evidence of systematic Hamas theft; most incidents couldn't be attributed | US government analysis; disputed by the State Department and IDF; Reuters noted Israel hasn't made public proof of systematic theft |
"Mountains of aid … the UN refuses to let it into Gaza"
- Aid did pile up. COGAT published photos of 400–600 truckloads (2025) and up to 1,100 (2024) waiting to be collected on the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom, and said "Israel is not the problem."
- Why is disputed. Israel blames UN capacity and says it offered pickup routes. The UN and aid groups cite insecurity and looting on the roads, Israeli restrictions on routes, timing and permits, refused requests for police escorts and communications equipment, and active fighting near pickup points.
- "The UN refuses" is an oversimplification. The UN did not refuse aid; it says it could not move it safely or with the permissions it needed. Both sides' accounts have some support; neither is independently verified.
"When it does, Hamas steals it"
- Hamas taking aid is documented — on video, more than once, and in Hamas's control of Gaza's markets and distribution. Hamas has also taxed goods and resold them.
- "Steals it" as a general rule is not established. The one systematic review found — by USAID, of US-funded supplies — found no evidence of systematic Hamas theft. Much documented looting was by armed gangs and desperate crowds. How much aid Hamas took overall is unknown.
"Hoards baby formula"
- The warehouse video is a single source, not independently verified (location, date, and whether stock was being withheld vs. awaiting distribution are all unknown).
- Israel reports more than 1,400 tons of baby food and formula entered Gaza — its own count.
- Credible evidence also cuts the other way: foreign doctors testified that Israeli checkpoints confiscated baby formula they carried in for patients (see related page).
"Who does the world blame for starvation? Israel."
Much coverage did lay the blame mainly on Israel and gave little attention to Hamas's control of distribution. But Israel's own actions are part of the record: Defense Minister Gallant announced a "complete siege" with "no food, no fuel" on October 9, 2023, and Israel halted all aid from early March to late May 2025. A fair account assigns responsibility to more than one party. See The Gaza Famine Narrative for the famine data and its disputes.
Ratings of the parts of this claim
- Aid piled up uncollected at the crossings — Corroborated (photos, both sides acknowledge it).
- "The UN refuses to let it into Gaza" — Misleading: the UN cites insecurity and Israeli restrictions; responsibility is disputed.
- Hamas steals aid — Corroborated for specific incidents (video); systematic theft not established (USAID review found no evidence for US-funded aid).
- Hamas hoarded baby formula — Single source, unverified.
- The world blames only Israel — Partly true as a description of coverage; but Israel's own restrictions, including a total halt in spring 2025, are part of the record.
Fact vs. opinion in this claim
Checkable: what the videos show, where aid sat and why, what reviews found, what entered.
Interpretation, not rated: who bears moral responsibility for hunger in Gaza — Hamas for starting the war, diverting aid and fighting from among civilians; Israel for its siege and restrictions; the UN for its distribution failures; or some combination.
Scale and intent — side by side
October 7 (Hamas): about 770–840 civilians killed in one day. Intent to kill civilians is documented — in Hamas's written orders ("kill as many people as possible"), its fighters' own footage, and its leaders' statements.
Gaza (Israel): civilian deaths in the tens of thousands over two years (the civilian share is disputed, roughly 60% to 83%). Israel's stated aim is to destroy Hamas; warnings and large aid volumes are documented, and several incidents have been acknowledged by the IDF as errors. Intent to kill civilians is alleged, and has not been established by any court.
Both facts matter, and neither cancels the other. Every party's alleged crimes, on one scale: War Crimes Ledger.
Sources & References
- › VividProwess on X (Aug 24, 2025): "Mountains of aid are just sitting in the sun. The UN refuses to let it into Gaza, and when it does, Hamas steals it." (video; ~175,000 views)
- › Ynet: IDF releases video of Hamas stealing aid from Gazans (Shujaiya, Dec 2023)
- › i24NEWS: Caught on camera — Hamas terrorists steal humanitarian aid, beat civilians (Dec 2023)
- › JNS: Footage shows Hamas assaulting Gaza civilians seeking food (IDF video, July 2024)
- › Israel Hayom: IDF footage of Hamas gunmen looting an aid truck (filmed July 25, released July 29, 2025)
- › The Nightly: IDF released footage of Hamas looting an aid truck (July 2025)
- › Algemeiner: Gazan warehouse of baby formula (Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib video, Dec 2025)
- › i24NEWS: Hamas hid tons of baby formula — Palestinian activist's report (Dec 2025)
- › Campaign Against Antisemitism: Hamas accused of hoarding baby formula (Dec 10, 2025)
- › Times of Israel: USAID finds no proof Hamas systematically loots aid; State Department, IDF push back (July 2025)
- › Reuters via CTV: USAID analysis found no evidence of massive Hamas theft of Gaza aid (July 2025)
- › Times of Israel: Israel accuses UN of failing to collect aid piling up on the Gaza border
- › Ynet: COGAT — 600 aid trucks waiting for the UN in Gaza; "Israel is not the problem"
- › Reuters via Yahoo: Israel cites aid backlog in Gaza; UN says "we're doing what we can"
- › AP: Gaza faces critical famine risk after Israel sealed off aid since early March 2025
- › Algemeiner: US CENTCOM publishes video showing Hamas looting an aid truck (Oct 31, 2025); Hamas response via https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/baseless-cover-hamas-decries-leaked-112234852.html
- › /current-events/malnutrition-crisis-in-gaza-un-data-blocked-aid-and-confiscated-formula — Truth in a Haystack: doctors' testimony that Israeli checkpoints confiscated baby formula