Israel has long restricted aid to Gaza on the argument that Hamas steals it to use as a weapon of control over the population. On Saturday, the Israeli military announced new airdrops of aid.

IDF International Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani dismissed the report as “fake news. ” Anonymous IDF officials claimed there was no evidence to suggest thatHamas routinely stole humanitarian aid,

An analysis conducted by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) found no evidence that Hamas systematically stole US-funded humanitarian aid in Gaza, Reuters reported Friday. The findings challenge a justification used by Israel and the US to support a private aid initiative that bypasses the UN system amid deadly distribution chaos in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has carried out "systematic learning processes" to improve its "operational response" in order to ease tensions between Gazans and the IDF at aid distribution points. It says it is putting up fences, placing signs, and opening extra routes, among other steps.

The majority of victims were killed by gunfire as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were