Mediation Efforts in Attempt to Relieve UN-Hamas Tensions

By Jasmin Rasheed --UN Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Jamie McGoldrick met in Gaza on 6 March with senior Hamas officials Tawfiq Abu Naim, minister of the interior in the Hamas government, and Mohammad Dababesh, the head of Hamas’s General Intelligence Service.
The issues that were discussed in the meeting have remained confidential, yet high-level employees of aid organizations in Gaza believe the meeting addressed the need to establish the status of international aid workers in the enclave. This assessment is very realistic given the numerous incidents over the past months involving accusations of harassment of international aid workers by the Hamas government.
Several articles published in news outlets recently reported claims by aid workers that security officers in Gaza had put them through a lot of unnecessary trouble, including arrests and detentions under various pretexts, and searches through their belongings. In some cases, the organizations where the workers are employed were contacted with requests to receive private information of the employees, such as their salary, or personal information of donors.
Gazans have suffered a humanitarian crisis for many years, and conditions in the Strip have continuously worsened. The presence of aid workers and volunteers is critical to ensure the welfare of the civilian population in many aspects. The negative approach adopted by the government might demotivate these much-needed volunteers and dissuade them from coming to Gaza to provide aid and support.

 
The Liberum runs on your donation. Fight with us for a free society.
Donation Form (#6)

More articles you might like

Feeding Islam aversion in Western Europe

The deceptive label of ‘islamophobia’ figures prominently amongst the efforts to embrace the religious ideology […]

Predicting from the Fragments – On Wasini Al-Araj

Following on from my trek through the Cairo International Book Fair, I also had the […]

Martyrdom: The aesthetics of death

A man blows himself up in a crowded shopping street. In the ensuing chaos, people […]
- by Arthur Blok on 02/02/2025

Art Exhibition in Sharjah University advocates dialogue amongst artists: “Art unites people”

Twenty-two distinguished artists from the Middle East, Africa, and Europe gathered at Sharjah University in […]

The Online Egyptian – Soul searching as a profitable enterprise

The Cairo International Book Fair, some of you must have heard of it. I have […]

How to Become Mentally Strong

When confronted with losing your job, severe health issues or even death in your family, […]