Frustration, Gaza alarm drove Macron to go it alone on Palestine recognition
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Exclusive: USAID analysis found no evidence of massive Hamas theft of Gaza aid
An internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas. The State Department disputed the findings, saying there is video evidence of Hamas looting aid. The White House questioned the existence of the analysis, saying no State Department official had seen it. The findings were shared with the USAID’s inspector general’s office and State Department officials involved in Middle East policy, said two sources familiar with the matter. Nearly a quarter of Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians face famine-like conditions, thousands are suffering acute malnutrition, and doctors report starvation deaths of children and others. The U.N. estimates that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food supplies, the majority near the militarized distribution sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being stolen by Hamas, which it blames for the crisis. The analysis found that at least 44 of the 156 incidents where aid supplies were reported stolen or lost were “either directly or indirectly” due to Israeli military actions.
Summary State Department disputes findings, cites video evidence of Hamas looting
Israel claims Hamas diverts aid, based on its intelligence reports
GHF accuses Hamas of theft, U.N. rejects GHF’s militarized model
WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) – An internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by the Palestinian militant group Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies, challenging the main rationale that Israel and the U.S. give for backing a new armed private aid operation.
The analysis, which has not been previously reported, was conducted by a bureau within the U.S. Agency for International Development and completed in late June. It examined 156 incidents of theft or loss of U.S.-funded supplies reported by U.S. aid partner organizations between October 2023 and this May.
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It found “no reports alleging Hamas” benefited from U.S.-funded supplies, according to a slide presentation of the findings seen by Reuters.
A State Department spokesperson disputed the findings, saying there is video evidence of Hamas looting aid, but provided no such videos. The spokesperson also accused traditional humanitarian groups of covering up “aid corruption.”
A White House spokesperson, Anna Kelly, questioned the existence of the analysis, saying no State Department official had seen it and that it “was likely produced by a deep state operative” seeking to discredit President Donald Trump’s “humanitarian agenda.”
The findings were shared with the USAID’s inspector general’s office and State Department officials involved in Middle East policy, said two sources familiar with the matter, and come as dire food shortages deepen in the devastated enclave.
Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being stolen by Hamas, which it blames for the crisis.
The U.N. World Food Program says nearly a quarter of Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians face famine-like conditions, thousands are suffering acute malnutrition, and the World Health Organization and doctors in the enclave report starvation deaths of children and others.
The U.N. also estimates that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food supplies, the majority near the militarized distribution sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the new private aid group that uses a for-profit U.S. logistics firm run by a former CIA officer and armed U.S. military veterans.
The study was conducted by the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of USAID, which was the largest funder of assistance to Gaza before the Trump administration froze all U.S. foreign aid in January, terminating thousands of programs. It has also begun dismantling USAID, whose functions have been folded into the State Department.
The analysis found that at least 44 of the 156 incidents where aid supplies were reported stolen or lost were “either directly or indirectly” due to Israeli military actions, according to the briefing slides.
Israel’s military did not respond to questions about those findings.
The study noted a limitation: because Palestinians who receive aid cannot be vetted, it was possible that U.S.-funded supplies went to administrative officials of Hamas, the Islamist rulers of Gaza.
One source familiar with the study also cautioned that the absence of reports of widespread aid diversion by Hamas “does not mean that diversion has not occurred.”
The war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli assault began, according to Palestinian health officials.
ISRAEL SAYS HAMAS DIVERTS HUMANITARIAN AID
Israel, which controls access to Gaza, has said that Hamas steals food supplies from U.N. and other organizations to use to control the civilian population and boost its finances, including by jacking up the prices of the goods and reselling them to civilians.
Asked about the USAID report, the Israeli military told Reuters that its allegations are based on intelligence reports that Hamas militants seized cargoes by “both covertly and overtly” embedding themselves on aid trucks.
Those reports also show that Hamas has diverted up to 25% of aid supplies to its fighters or sold them to civilians, the Israeli military said, adding that GHF has ended the militants’ control of aid by distributing it directly to civilians.
Hamas denies the allegations. A Hamas security official said that Israel has killed more than 800 Hamas-affiliated police and security guards trying to protect aid vehicles and convoy routes. Their missions were coordinated with the U.N.
Reuters could not independently verify the claims by Hamas and Israel, which has not made public proof that the militants have systematically stolen aid.
GHF also accuses Hamas of massive aid theft in defending its distribution model. The U.N. and other groups have rejected calls by GHF, Israel and the U.S. to cooperate with the foundation, saying it violates international humanitarian principles of neutrality.
In response to a request for comment, GHF referred Reuters to a July 2 Washington Post article that quoted an unidentified Gazan and anonymous Israeli officials as saying Hamas profited from the sales and taxing of pilfered humanitarian aid.
AID GROUPS REQUIRED TO REPORT LOSSES
The 156 reports of theft or losses of supplies reviewed by BHA were filed by U.N. agencies and other humanitarian groups working in Gaza as a condition of receiving U.S. aid funds.
The second source familiar with the matter said that after receiving reports of U.S.-funded aid thefts or losses, USAID staff followed up with partner organizations to try to determine if there was Hamas involvement.
Those organizations also would “redirect or pause” aid distributions if they learned that Hamas was in the vicinity, the source said.
Aid organizations working in Gaza also are required to vet their personnel, sub-contractors and suppliers for ties to extremist groups before receiving U.S. funds, a condition that the State Department waived in approving $30 million for GHF last month.
The slide presentation noted that USAID partners tended to over-report aid diversion and theft by groups sanctioned or designated by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations – such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad – because they want to avoid losing U.S. funding.
Of the 156 incidents of loss or theft reported, 63 were attributed to unknown perpetrators, 35 to armed actors, 25 to unarmed people, 11 directly to Israeli military action, 11 to corrupt subcontractors, five to aid group personnel “engaging in corrupt activities,” and six to “others,” a category that accounted for “commodities stolen in unknown circumstances,” according to the slide presentation.
The armed actors “included gangs and other miscellaneous individuals who may have had weapons,” said a slide. Another slide said “a review of all 156 incidents found no affiliations with” U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations, of which Hamas is one.
“The majority of incidents could not be definitively attributed to a specific actor,” said another slide. “Partners often largely discovered the commodities had been stolen in transit without identifying the perpetrator.”
It is possible there were classified intelligence reports on Hamas aid thefts, but BHA staff lost access to classified systems in the dismantlement of USAID, said a slide.
However, a source familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments told Reuters that they knew of no U.S. intelligence reports detailing Hamas aid diversions and that Washington was relying on Israeli reports.
The BHA analysis found that the Israeli military “directly or indirectly caused” a total of 44 incidents in which U.S.-funded aid was lost or stolen. Those included the 11 attributed to direct Israeli military actions, such as airstrikes or orders to Palestinians to evacuate areas of the war-torn enclave.
Losses indirectly attributed to Israeli military included cases where they compelled aid groups to use delivery routes with high risks of theft or looting, ignoring requests for alternative routes, the analysis said.
Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Editing by Don Durfee and Claudia Parsons
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UN aid chief demands evidence after Israel accuses staff of links to Hamas
U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher has demanded that Israel provide evidence for its accusations that staff with U.N.’s OCHA were affiliated with Palestinian militants Hamas. In a letter to the Security Council on Thursday, Fletcher said the accusations were “extremely serious and have security implications for our staff” Israel says it has uncovered “clear evidence of Hamas affiliation within OCHA’s ranks” Fletcher: “We do not choose between demanding the end to the starvation of civilians in Gaza and demanding the unconditional release of all the hostages” The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel.
Item 1 of 2 Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher speaks to delegates about the situation in Gaza during a United Nations Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters, in New York City, U.S., July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo
UNITED NATIONS, July 25 (Reuters) – United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher has demanded that Israel provide evidence for its accusations that staff with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs were affiliated with Palestinian militants Hamas, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Friday.
At a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon declared that Fletcher and OCHA were no longer neutral and that hundreds of OCHA employees would undergo security vetting. Israel would also restrict OCHA visas to one month, he said.
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“Israel has uncovered clear evidence of Hamas affiliation within OCHA’s ranks,” Danon told the 15-member council without providing evidence.
In a letter to the Security Council on Thursday, Fletcher said Danon’s remarks were the first time any such concern had been raised and that the accusations were “extremely serious and have security implications for our staff.”
“I expect the Israeli authorities to immediately share any evidence that led them to make such claims to the council,” Fletcher said.
He noted that around the world OCHA engages with all parties to armed conflict to secure humanitarian access, press for the protection of civilians and promote respect for humanitarian principles, adding: “As Israeli authorities know, our contacts with Hamas have also supported hostage releases.”
Israel is committed to helping civilians and getting aid to those in need, Danon said, though he warned: “We will not work with organizations that have chosen politics over principles.”
The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and reduced much of the enclave to ruins.
“We must hold all parties to the standards of international law in this conflict,” Fletcher wrote in his letter. “We do not choose between demanding the end to the starvation of civilians in Gaza and demanding the unconditional release of all the hostages.”
Israel, which controls all supplies entering Gaza, denies it is responsible for shortages of food.
Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Howard Goller
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Frustration, Gaza crisis drove Macron to go it alone on Palestine recognition
France will become the first Western member of the UN Security Council to recognise a Palestinian state in September. President Emmanuel Macron came up with a plan to have France plus Group of Seven allies Britain and Canada recognise Palestinian statehood. But despite weeks of talks, he failed to get others on board, leaving Mr Macron to go it alone. France will work to get more states on board ahead of the conference on a two-state solution in September, but the conference was postponed amid intense US diplomatic pressure. France and its staunch supporter the US have blasted France’s move, branding it a reward for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which ran Gaza and whose attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, triggered the current war. French officials point to months of intense Israeli lobbying to try to prevent the move – as evidence that it matters a lot to Israeli leaders. The move has caused diplomatic ructions from the Middle East through Europe to Washington, with some calling it a ‘coup’ and others calling it ‘a mistake’
French President Emmanuel Macron was struck by the mounting humanitarian crisis when he visited an Egyptian town on the border with Gaza in April.
– President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France would become the first Western member of the UN Security Council to recognise a Palestinian state in September has caused diplomatic ructions from the Middle East through Europe to Washington.
But it did not come out of the blue.
When Mr Macron visited the Egyptian town of Al-Arish on the border with Gaza in April, he was struck by the mounting humanitarian crisis and made clear on his return home that Paris would soon opt for recognition.
Working with Saudi Arabia, Mr Macron came up with a plan to have France plus Group of Seven allies Britain and Canada recognise Palestinian statehood, while pushing Arab states to adopt a softer stance towards Israel through a UN conference. But despite weeks of talks, he failed to get others on board.
Three diplomats said London did not want to face the wrath of the US, and Ottawa took a similar stance, leaving Mr Macron to go it alone.
“It became increasingly apparent that we could not wait to get partners on board,” said a French diplomat, adding that France will work to get more states on board ahead of the conference on a two-state solution in September.
Domestically, Mr Macron was under rising pressure to do something amid widespread anger at the harrowing images coming out of Gaza. Although, with both Europe’s biggest Muslim and Jewish communities and a polarised political landscape, there was no obvious course of action that would satisfy all sides.
Israel and its staunch supporter the US have blasted France’s move , branding it a reward for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which ran Gaza and whose attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, triggered the current war.
Mr Macron had discussed the matter extensively with both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in advance.
Mr Trump said on July 25 that France’s decision did not “carry any weight” but added that Mr Macron was “a good guy”.
Conference plan
French officials previously considered an announcement at a conference scheduled for June at the UN, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, to sketch out a roadmap to a viable Palestinian state while also ensuring Israel’s security.
But the conference was postponed amid intense US diplomatic pressure and after Israeli air strikes on Iran.
Mr Macron’s announcement on July 24 is linked to a rescheduled and rejigged version of the UN conference, now planned to take place on July 28 and 29.
That meeting will be at ministerial level, but Paris decided it would hold a second event with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, where Mr Macron will announce formal recognition.
Some analysts say Mr Macron has used the carrot of recognition to extract concessions from Mr Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, which is a moderate rival to Hamas, and other regional players.
“Macron here is acting as a catalyst to get the Palestinians to deliver on the needed reforms, to get the Arabs to deliver on a stabilisation force and the disarming of Hamas,” said Ms Rym Momtaz, editor-in-chief of the Strategic Europe blog run by the Carnegie Europe think-tank.
Others say that while recognition has symbolic value, there will still be no functioning Palestinian state whenever the war in Gaza comes to an end.
“Recognition by a European heavyweight like France is indicative of the rising frustration with Israel’s intransigent policies,” said Mr Amjad Iraqi, senior analyst at International Crisis Group.
“What’s the point of recognising a state if they’re doing little to stop it from turning into ruins?”
French officials point to months of intense Israeli lobbying to try to prevent Mr Macron’s move – and Mr Netanyahu’s fierce criticism of it – as evidence that it matters a lot to Israeli leaders.
Sources familiar with the matter say Israel’s warnings to France had ranged from scaling back intelligence-sharing to complicating Paris’ regional initiatives – even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank.
But French officials concluded that Mr Netanyahu would do whatever he thought was in his interests in the West Bank anyway, regardless of what France did on recognition.
Israel’s Parliament voted on July 23 in favour of a non-binding declaration urging the government to apply Israeli law to the West Bank, widely seen as a de facto annexation of the territory. That added to the urgency in Paris.
“If there is a moment in history to recognise a Palestinian state, even if it’s just symbolic, then I would say that moment has probably come,” a senior French official said. REUTERS
UK backs future Palestinian statehood but only as part of peace deal
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday the British government would recognise a Palestinian state only as part of a negotiated peace deal. Many in his Labour Party want him to follow France in taking swifter action. France’s plan drew strong condemnation from Israel and the United States, after similar moves from Spain, Norway and Ireland last year. One Labour member of parliament told Reuters there was unhappiness with Starmer in the party over the government’s failure to take further diplomatic steps to condemn Israel. Starmer’s approach to the issue has been complicated by the arrival in Scotland later on Friday of U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom he has built warm relations. He said he was focused on the “practical solutions” that would make a real difference to ending the war.
Summary PM Starmer under pressure to recognise Palestinian statehood
Many Labour lawmakers want Britain to follow France’s plan
Starmer says recognition must be part of wider peace deal
LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday the British government would recognise a Palestinian state only as part of a negotiated peace deal, disappointing many in his Labour Party who want him to follow France in taking swifter action.
President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France would recognise a Palestinian state, a plan that drew strong condemnation from Israel and the United States, after similar moves from Spain, Norway and Ireland last year.
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After discussing with Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ways to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza, Starmer said he was focused on the “practical solutions” that he thought would make a real difference to ending the war.
“Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that,” he said. “But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.”
Over 220 members of parliament – about a third of lawmakers in the House of Commons and mostly Labour members – wrote to Starmer on Friday urging him to recognise a Palestinian state.
Successive British governments have said they will formally recognise a Palestinian state when the time is right, without ever setting a timetable or specifying the necessary conditions.
‘TOO TIMID’
London’s Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan , opens new tab , and Labour lawmakers on parliament’s foreign affairs select committee said this week Britain should recognise a Palestinian state. A government minister, Shabana Mahmood, said doing so would bring “multiple benefits” and send a message to Israel.
Parliament’s foreign affairs committee said on Friday “the government cannot continue to wait for the perfect time , opens new tab because experience shows that there will never be a perfect time.”
One Labour member of parliament told Reuters there was unhappiness with Starmer in the party over the government’s failure to take further diplomatic steps to condemn Israel.
“Most of us are outraged by what is happening in Gaza and think we are being too timid,” the lawmaker said.
Starmer’s approach to the issue has been complicated by the arrival in Scotland later on Friday of U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom he has built warm relations.
In foreign policy terms, Britain has rarely diverged from the United States.
“The question becomes one around dependence on the U.S., and if causing a rift with Washington – which is so closely aligned with Tel Aviv – is something London can afford to do,” said H. A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
“There is a sense at the highest levels of government in London that the Trump administration could very easily and erratically change tack on issues that the UK is really concerned about.”
Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Catarina Demony; additional reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; editing by Helen Popper and Mark Heinrich
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France’s top court says arrest warrant for Assad is invalid, new one can be issued
Court says arrest warrant against Assad is invalid. New warrant can be issued as he is no longer in power. French investigating magistrates issued the warrant in November 2023. It followed a French investigation into chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian city of Douma and Eastern Ghouta district in August 2013 that killed more than 1,000 people. Assad was toppled last December by Islamist rebels whose leader is now the interim president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. He fled to Russia in December 2024 when insurgent forces swept through the country in a rapid offensive, ending over 50 years of rule by his family. The decision overturns one made by the Paris Court of Appeal, which ruled last year that the warrant was valid.
Summary Assad was toppled as Syria’s president last year
Court says arrest warrant against Assad is invalid
New warrant can be issued as he is no longer in power
PARIS, July 25 (Reuters) – France’s highest court ruled on Friday that an arrest warrant for former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was invalid as it was issued when he was still in office, but said a new warrant can now be issued as he is no longer a sitting head of state.
French investigating magistrates issued the warrant in November 2023 following a French investigation into chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian city of Douma and Eastern Ghouta district in August 2013 that killed more than 1,000 people.
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Then-President Assad’s government denied using chemical weapons during the country’s civil war that began in 2011. Assad was toppled last December by Islamist rebels whose leader is now the interim president.
The Court of Cassation’s decision overturns one made by the Paris Court of Appeal, which ruled last year that the warrant was valid. Prosecutors, who would need to ask police to carry out the warrant, challenged its validity
“International custom does not allow any exception to the personal immunity of a foreign head of state during the entire duration of their term in office, even when the alleged acts constitute genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity,” the Court of Cassation said in a statement.
“The arrest warrant issued at a time when this person was the head of state of Syria is therefore invalid … However, an arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity can now be issued since this person no longer holds the position of Head of State.”
‘MISSED OPPORTUNITY’
Mariana Pena, senior legal officer at Open Society Justice Initiative which helped gather evidence against Assad, described the court’s ruling as “a missed opportunity for justice.”
But she said the fact that France’s top court had agreed to hear the case signalled a growing willingness to challenge immunity. This, she said, was also reflected in “today’s decision which leaves the door open to the prosecution of Assad” now that he is no longer in office.
Separately, French officials issued a warrant in January against Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes, notably the launch of a deliberate attack on civilians, as part of a inquiry into the case of Salah Abou Nabour, a Franco-Syrian national, who was killed in 2017 in a bombing strike in Syria.
Assad fled to Russia in December 2024 when insurgent forces swept through the country in a rapid offensive, ending over 50 years of rule by his family.
While arrest warrants against sitting heads of state are rare due to immunity protection, international law has exceptions when that leader is accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide. France allows the filing of crimes against humanity cases in its courts.
Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Timothy Heritage
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