Category World News

Hamas has refuted claims made by US Central Command (CENTCOM) that it looted aid trucks in the Gaza Strip.

An aid truck allegedly targeted the enclave in a drone footage that CENTCOM had released. The drone reported that on October 31 suspected Hamas operatives allegedly looted the truck as it traveled with a humanitarian convoy in northern Khan Younis, according to a statement.

Hamas claimed on Sunday that the accusations made by the United States were “unfounded” and were “part of an attempt to justify the further reduction of already-limited humanitarian aid, while concealing the failure of the international community to put an end to the blockade and hunger imposed on civilians in Gaza.”

“All instances of chaos and looting ended with the [Israeli] occupying forces’ withdrawal, demonstrating that the occupation was the only organization that supported these gangs and organized the chaos,” it continued.

Hamas claimed that in an effort to protect humanitarian aid convoys and ensure that aid is delivered to those in need, more than 1, 000 Palestinian police and security personnel lost their lives and injured hundreds.

No one working with the aid convoys, nor any of the international or local organizations, was cited in the report or complaint about Hamas’ looting.

This clearly demonstrates that the scene that the US Central Command has cited serves only to justify blockade measures and the reduction of humanitarian aid, according to the statement. The US is also accused of failing to adequately account for the ongoing Israeli attacks that resulted from the ceasefire agreement, which resulted in the deaths of 254 Palestinians and 595 wounded.

The MQ-9 aerial drone was flying over the Israeli-Hamas border to check the implementation of the ceasefire, according to CENTCOM.

“Over 600 trucks full of commercial goods and aid have been delivered to Gaza daily by international partners over the past week,” said the statement. These efforts are undermined by this incident, the statement read.

Despite our repeated requests to increase the number of humanitarian aid trucks and reduce commercial shipments, Hamas claimed that the average number of aid trucks entering Gaza daily is not more than 135. The rest are commercial trucks carrying goods that the population of Gaza cannot afford.

The US’s use of the Israeli narrative only serves to reinforce Washington’s moral bias, according to the statement.

Under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, the ceasefire became effective on October 10.

In exchange for nearly 2, 000 Palestinian prisoners, the captives are released in phase one of the agreement. Additionally, the plan envisages the establishment of a new Hamas-unfriendly governing structure and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Trump claimed in a social media post on Saturday that he had asked the Defense Department to prepare for a potential “fast” military strike against Nigeria if the continent’s most populous nation doesn’t stop the “killing of Christians.”

Nigeria’s presidency’s representative, Daniel Bwala, stated to the Reuters news agency on Sunday that the nation would “welcome US assistance as long as it recognizes our territorial integrity.”

By the time these two leaders meet and convene, “our collective resolve to combat terrorism will have better outcomes,” Bwala continued.

Trump stated in his post that if the Nigerian government continues to permit the killing of Christians, the US would immediately stop providing any assistance to the nation.

Bola Tinubu, the president of Nigeria, earlier rebuffed accusations of religious intolerance and supported his country’s efforts to defend religious freedom.

Our administration has engaged with Christian and Muslim leaders since 2023, and it continues to address security issues that affect people of all faiths and regions, according to a statement from Tinubu.

The government’s repeated and sincere efforts to protect the freedom of religion and beliefs of all Nigerians are not taken into account when describing Nigeria as being religiously intolerant, nor does it reflect our country’s reality.

Nigeria’s population, which is more than 200 million, is divided between the country’s north, which is largely Muslim, and the south, which is largely Christian.

Armed groups have been at odds with a conflict that has lasted for more than 15 years and has mostly lasted in the northeast of the nation. According to analysts, the majority of the victims were Muslims, compared to Christians.

No Christian genocide, please.

Experts claim that there has been no “Christian genocide” because human rights organizations have urged the government to do more to combat the country’s unrest. Boko Haram and other armed groups have carried out deadly attacks on the country, but they are simplistic and false.

According to Bulama Bukarti, a Nigerian humanitarian lawyer and analyst on conflict and development, “all the data reveals that there is no Christian genocide going on in Nigeria.” President Trump is “amplifying a dangerous far-right narrative that has been simmering for a long time.”

According to Bukarti, “It is divisive, and it will only make Nigeria more unstable,” adding that armed groups have targeted both Muslims and Christians in the country.

They “bomb” markets, They bomb churches. Everywhere they look for civilian targets are attacked by them, including mosques. They don’t treat Muslims or Christians differently.

The Trump administration should work with Nigerian authorities, according to Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow of Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC.