By Yoav Zitun

Copyright ynetnews

Israel said Saturday that Hamas terrorists opened fire on a United Nations team and blocked the opening of a new humanitarian corridor in southern Gaza, accusing the group of deliberately worsening the situation for civilians. According to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), UN workers were preparing a new road to allow aid trucks to travel from the Kerem Shalom crossing into a designated humanitarian zone when armed Hamas operatives attacked. The gunmen fired directly at the UN team, forced them out, and then used a stolen UN vehicle to erect a sand barricade to prevent future aid deliveries, COGAT said. The new route was set to open within days as part of Israel’s plan to expand humanitarian relief, including food, medical supplies, tents and shelter equipment for families who fled Gaza City and moved south for safety. Israel pointed to the incident as part of a broader pattern. Earlier this week, UNICEF reported that armed men hijacked four aid trucks carrying baby formula at gunpoint, leaving 2,700 infants without vital nutrition. Israel allows the entry of baby formula and other humanitarian goods, but accuses Hamas of stealing them to resell for profit. “Hamas proves again and again it has no interest in the welfare of Gaza’s residents,” said Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, head of COGAT. “Even when Israel works with the UN and international groups to expand humanitarian aid, Hamas desperately tries to sabotage it. They abandon the people they claim to represent in order to ensure their own survival.” Alian condemned the attack on UN workers, vowing that Israel “will not allow Hamas to create false narratives of a crisis in Gaza” and pledging that Israeli authorities would continue coordinating humanitarian deliveries with international partners.