Hamas Thieves

UNRWA is suspending aid to Gaza after this:

"In a statement, UNRWA said 10 truckloads of flour and rice that had been delivered into Gaza on Thursday were taken away by trucks affiliated with the Hamas-run Ministry of Social Affairs. Earlier this week, Hamas police took thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents...

"'Hamas policemen stormed into an aid warehouse in Gaza City Tuesday evening and confiscated 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels ready for distribution to 500 families,' said UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness on Wednesday.

"'They were armed, they seized this, they took it by force,' Gunness said, terming the incident absolutely unacceptable."

My first instinct was that these actions were carried out by organized crime clans operating under the Hamas banner rather than as an organized Hamas activity. The explanations Hamas is offering, however, suggest the organization is trying to strengthen its grip on the territory by controlling the distributive framework. This is a common side effect of sanctions.