UN rights experts on Thursday expressed alarm at reports of “enforced disappearances” of starving Palestinians seeking food in Gaza. The seven independent experts said in a statement they had received reports that a number of individuals, including one child, had been “forcibly disappeared” after going to aid distribution sites in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Issued on: 28/08/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
Palestinians carry humanitarian aid, they gathered after an aid drop, as they walk in the Mawasi area of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on August 18, 2025. © AFP photo
UN rights experts voiced alarm Thursday at reports of “enforced disappearances” of starving Palestinians seeking food at distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), urging Israel to end the “heinous crime”.
The seven independent experts said in a joint statement they had received reports that a number of individuals, including one child, had been “forcibly disappeared” after going to aid distribution sites in Rafah, southern Gaza.
“Reports of enforced disappearances targeting starving civilians seeking their basic right to food is not only shocking, but amounts to torture,” said the experts, who are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, but who do not speak on behalf of the United Nations itself.
“Using food as a tool to conduct targeted and mass disappearances needs to end now.”
Israel’s military was reportedly “directly involved in the enforced disappearances of people seeking aid”, said the statement signed by the five members of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, along with Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on rights in the Palestinian territories, and her counterpart on the right to food, Michael Fakhri.
UN rights experts voiced alarm Thursday at reports of “enforced disappearances” of starving Palestinians seeking food at distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), urging Israel to end the “heinous crime”.
The seven independent experts said in a joint statement they had received reports that a number of individuals, including one child, had been “forcibly disappeared” after going to aid distribution sites in Rafah, southern Gaza.
“Reports of enforced disappearances targeting starving civilians seeking their basic right to food is not only shocking, but amounts to torture,” said the experts, who are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, but who do not speak on behalf of the United Nations itself.
“Using food as a tool to conduct targeted and mass disappearances needs to end now.”
Israel’s military was reportedly “directly involved in the enforced disappearances of people seeking aid”, said the statement signed by the five members of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, along with Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on rights in the Palestinian territories, and her counterpart on the right to food, Michael Fakhri.
'Israel has the legal obligation to provide food'
Famine © France24
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Israel’s military was “refusing to provide information on the fate and whereabouts of persons they have deprived of their liberty”, in violation of international law, the statement said.
“The failure to acknowledge deprivation of liberty by state agents and refusal to acknowledge detention constitute an enforced disappearance.”
The UN declared a famine in Gaza governorate last week, blaming “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian deliveries by Israel. Israel, which has accused Hamas of looting aid supplied by the UN, imposed a total blockade on Gaza between March and May.
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Once it began easing restrictions, the GHF, a private organisation supported by Israel and the United States, was established to distribute food aid, effectively sidelining UN agencies.
The experts pointed to how “aerial bombardment and daily gunfire at and around the crowded facilities have resulted in mass casualties”.
“The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is obligated to provide secure distribution sites and has contracted private military security companies to that end,” they said.
The UN human rights office said last week it had documented that 1,857 Palestinians had been killed while seeking aid since late May, including 1,021 near GHF sites.
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Once it began easing restrictions, the GHF, a private organisation supported by Israel and the United States, was established to distribute food aid, effectively sidelining UN agencies.
The experts pointed to how “aerial bombardment and daily gunfire at and around the crowded facilities have resulted in mass casualties”.
“The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is obligated to provide secure distribution sites and has contracted private military security companies to that end,” they said.
The UN human rights office said last week it had documented that 1,857 Palestinians had been killed while seeking aid since late May, including 1,021 near GHF sites.
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Now, the experts warned, “the distribution points pose additional risks for devastated individuals of being forcibly disappeared”.
The experts urged Israeli authorities to “put an end to the heinous crime against an already vulnerable population”.
They demanded that the authorities “clarify the fate and whereabouts of disappeared persons and investigate the enforced disappearances thoroughly and impartially and punish perpetrators”.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Now, the experts warned, “the distribution points pose additional risks for devastated individuals of being forcibly disappeared”.
The experts urged Israeli authorities to “put an end to the heinous crime against an already vulnerable population”.
They demanded that the authorities “clarify the fate and whereabouts of disappeared persons and investigate the enforced disappearances thoroughly and impartially and punish perpetrators”.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
No, the UN did not say that 87% of Gaza's humanitarian aid is looted by Hamas
Pro-Israeli internet users claim that the UN has stated that 87 percent of humanitarian aid entering Gaza is being looted by Hamas. The UN has never made such a statement, and the claims likely stem from a misleading distortion of statistics published by a UN agency.
Issued on: 28/08/2025 -
By: The FRANCE 24 Observers/
Quang Pham
Israeli army says 25% of aid diverted by Hamas
The Israeli army has also released its own estimate of the proportion of aid allegedly diverted by Hamas. As reported by Reuters on July 25, the IDF claims, based on intelligence reports, that Hamas has diverted up to 25 percent of aid supplies for its own fighters or to be resold at a profit to Palestinian civilians. The army's estimate is therefore significantly lower than the 87 percent claimed by internet users.
Hamas, for its part, categorically denies any allegations of diversion. Reuters reports that it has not been able to independently verify the statements made by the Israeli army and Hamas.
However, a report published on July 25, 2024, by the Office of the Inspector General of USAID, the agency responsible for delivering US humanitarian aid to Gaza, estimated that USAID-funded aid was at “high risk for diversion and misuse” by Hamas and other armed groups.
Another USAID report published a year later on July 25, 2025, nevertheless concluded that the agency had found no evidence of widespread Hamas theft of US-funded humanitarian aid, based on an analysis of 156 incidents that occurred between October 2023 and May 2025.
Pro-Israeli internet users claim that the UN has stated that 87 percent of humanitarian aid entering Gaza is being looted by Hamas. The UN has never made such a statement, and the claims likely stem from a misleading distortion of statistics published by a UN agency.
Issued on: 28/08/2025 -
By: The FRANCE 24 Observers/
Quang Pham
Online accounts have been using this image to support claims that 87% of the humanitarian aid coming into Gaza is looted by Hamas. © UN
The accusation was the Israeli government's main argument for imposing a blockade to prevent food aid from reaching Gaza, which was partially eased at the end of May. Israel claims that Hamas loots most of the international aid sent to the enclave for its own benefit.
On May 22, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a speech, "Since October 7, Israel has sent 92,000 aid trucks into Gaza. [...] Yet as we had let the aid come in, Hamas stole it. They took a huge chunk for themselves. The rest they sold at exorbitant prices to the Palestinian population."
The accusation was the Israeli government's main argument for imposing a blockade to prevent food aid from reaching Gaza, which was partially eased at the end of May. Israel claims that Hamas loots most of the international aid sent to the enclave for its own benefit.
On May 22, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a speech, "Since October 7, Israel has sent 92,000 aid trucks into Gaza. [...] Yet as we had let the aid come in, Hamas stole it. They took a huge chunk for themselves. The rest they sold at exorbitant prices to the Palestinian population."
What these pro-Israel internet users claim is false: the UN has never stated that 87 percent of the humanitarian aid sent to Gaza was looted by Hamas. © X © Instagram
According to several pro-Israel internet users, the United Nations also shares the Israeli head of state's assessment. “87% of humanitarian aid has been looted by Hamas,” they write on X, Instagram and Facebook, sharing a poster that also shows a fighter from the Islamist movement. According to these posts, the source of the 87 percent figure for looted aid is the UN.
A misleading interpretation of UN statistics
However, the UN has never made this claim. There is no official statement from the United Nations claiming that Hamas steals 87 percent of humanitarian aid on the website of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN agency responsible for aid to Palestinians.
So where did the 87 percent figure come from? It is likely a misleading use of UN data. The UN2720 website, the UN body responsible for statistics on humanitarian aid in Gaza, keeps a precise track of the number of aid trucks entering the enclave.
According to several pro-Israel internet users, the United Nations also shares the Israeli head of state's assessment. “87% of humanitarian aid has been looted by Hamas,” they write on X, Instagram and Facebook, sharing a poster that also shows a fighter from the Islamist movement. According to these posts, the source of the 87 percent figure for looted aid is the UN.
A misleading interpretation of UN statistics
However, the UN has never made this claim. There is no official statement from the United Nations claiming that Hamas steals 87 percent of humanitarian aid on the website of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN agency responsible for aid to Palestinians.
So where did the 87 percent figure come from? It is likely a misleading use of UN data. The UN2720 website, the UN body responsible for statistics on humanitarian aid in Gaza, keeps a precise track of the number of aid trucks entering the enclave.
UN270 statistics from May 19 to August 22, 2025, on humanitarian aid in Gaza. © UN270
From May 19 to August 22, UN270 reveals that 4,659 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza. Of this total, 4,107 trucks were “intercepted” – meaning that their cargo was stolen – representing 88 percent of the total number of aid trucks sent.
However, contrary to what internet users claim, UN2720 does not assert that most of this aid was diverted by Hamas. On its website, the organisation simply states that the “intercepted” trucks were taken “either peacefully by hungry people or forcefully by armed actors”.
Olga Cherevko, from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, provided further details about the looters to the Israeli media outlet Times of Israel: the vast majority of the looting was being carried out “by hungry Gazans, not by armed gangs”, the UN employee said.
“The long-standing restrictions on the entry of aid have created an unpredictable environment where there is a lack of confidence by the communities that aid will reach them. This has resulted in many of our convoys offloaded directly by starving, desperate people,” Cherevko explained.
From May 19 to August 22, UN270 reveals that 4,659 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza. Of this total, 4,107 trucks were “intercepted” – meaning that their cargo was stolen – representing 88 percent of the total number of aid trucks sent.
However, contrary to what internet users claim, UN2720 does not assert that most of this aid was diverted by Hamas. On its website, the organisation simply states that the “intercepted” trucks were taken “either peacefully by hungry people or forcefully by armed actors”.
Olga Cherevko, from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, provided further details about the looters to the Israeli media outlet Times of Israel: the vast majority of the looting was being carried out “by hungry Gazans, not by armed gangs”, the UN employee said.
“The long-standing restrictions on the entry of aid have created an unpredictable environment where there is a lack of confidence by the communities that aid will reach them. This has resulted in many of our convoys offloaded directly by starving, desperate people,” Cherevko explained.
Israeli army says 25% of aid diverted by Hamas
The Israeli army has also released its own estimate of the proportion of aid allegedly diverted by Hamas. As reported by Reuters on July 25, the IDF claims, based on intelligence reports, that Hamas has diverted up to 25 percent of aid supplies for its own fighters or to be resold at a profit to Palestinian civilians. The army's estimate is therefore significantly lower than the 87 percent claimed by internet users.
Hamas, for its part, categorically denies any allegations of diversion. Reuters reports that it has not been able to independently verify the statements made by the Israeli army and Hamas.
However, a report published on July 25, 2024, by the Office of the Inspector General of USAID, the agency responsible for delivering US humanitarian aid to Gaza, estimated that USAID-funded aid was at “high risk for diversion and misuse” by Hamas and other armed groups.
Another USAID report published a year later on July 25, 2025, nevertheless concluded that the agency had found no evidence of widespread Hamas theft of US-funded humanitarian aid, based on an analysis of 156 incidents that occurred between October 2023 and May 2025.
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