Israel’s COGAT fires back at UNRWA, accusing the UN agency of spreading Hamas-aligned misinformation about Gaza’s humanitarian conditions and insisting water and aid are flowing to civilians.
A sharp war of words erupted Wednesday after the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) issued a blistering rebuttal to claims by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) over conditions in Gaza.
UNRWA had posted on social media that temperatures in Gaza had soared above 40°C, worsening dehydration amid power shortages and bombardments — and ended with a call for a ceasefire.
‘Parading Hamas Narratives’
COGAT dismissed the UNRWA account as factually wrong and politically biased, asserting that:
- Water is available in Gaza via Israeli pipelines, local pumping stations, and desalination plants.
- Israel recently connected an electricity line to a desalination plant and approved a UAE-backed project for a new water line from Egypt.
“UNRWA is just not aware of it because they are not involved in the humanitarian response due to their well-established connection with Hamas. Stop parading Hamas narratives to show off relevance,” COGAT declared.
Challenging the ‘Extreme Heat’ Narrative
COGAT also countered UNRWA’s weather claims, saying temperatures had not exceeded 35°C, based on official meteorological data. The agency accused UNRWA of amplifying falsehoods instead of addressing real needs.
“Our commitment is to aid Gaza’s civilians — not Hamas,” COGAT stressed.
The clash adds another layer to the deepening mistrust between Israel and UNRWA, an agency Jerusalem accuses of harboring close ties to Hamas. It also underscores the battle over narratives shaping international perceptions of the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
