The United Nations said on Monday that Hamas has returned all of the aid supplies that it seized from the agency in the Gaza Strip last week. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said the return of the supplies cleared the way for it to resume all of its operations in the Hamas-ruled enclave. UNRWA had suspended imports of goods on Friday after accusing Hamas of twice seizing aid supplies.
"The Hamas authorities in Gaza have returned to the UNRWA warehouses in Gaza City and Rafah all of the aid supplies," said UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness. "UNRWA will now lift the suspension on the import of its humanitarian supplies into Gaza, which went into effect on Feb. 5."
UNRWA said earlier that Hamas last week seized 200 tons of rice and flour brought into Gaza by UNWRA, and in a separate incident grabbed 3,500 blankets and more than 400 food parcels at gunpoint from a distribution store at a Gaza City refugee camp.
Hamas said over the weekend the supplies had been seized "by mistake."
UNRWA plays a key role in distributing aid in Gaza and says it currently hands out food assistance to some 900,000 people out of a population of 1.5 million. Humanitarian workers say the aid is crucial as the population struggles with the aftermath of Israel's crushing military assault on the impoverished Palestinian enclave which left more than 1,330 dead and razed over 14,000 homes.