Rubio Condemns Hamas Amid Humanitarian Aid Theft
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly criticized Hamas following the release of U.S. military drone footage that allegedly shows members of the group looting trucks that were carrying humanitarian supplies meant for civilians in Gaza.
The video, shared by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), captures an incident where suspected Hamas operatives attacked a truck driver on Friday, forcibly dragging him onto a median before fleeing with both the vehicle and its cargo.
Rubio stated, “Hamas continues to deprive Gazans of desperately needed humanitarian aid. This theft undermines international efforts to support President Trump’s 20-Point Plan to deliver critical assistance to innocent civilians.”
He described Hamas as a significant “obstacle,” asserting that the organization obstructs relief efforts intended for the affected population.
“To bring a brighter future to Gaza, they must lay down their arms and stop looting,” he added.
CENTCOM confirmed that the truck involved was part of a humanitarian convoy delivering supplies from international partners to people in northern Khan Yunis. The footage was captured by a U.S. MQ-9 drone, which was monitoring ceasefire compliance between Hamas and Israel.
In a separate statement, CENTCOM highlighted that, “The operatives moved the driver to the median of the road, then attacked him and stole his aid and truck. The driver’s current status is unknown.”
According to CENTCOM, nearly 40 countries and international organizations are working together to coordinate humanitarian assistance to Gaza via the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC). Recently, these partners managed to deliver more than 600 trucks of goods and aid to Gaza each day, but this latest incident undermines those efforts.
The CMCC, located in southern Israel, was established on October 17, providing a centralized support hub for Gaza just days after a ceasefire began. It is designed to track developments in the region in real-time.
Recent data from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) indicated that a significant portion of the aid entering Gaza was being looted within the territory.
