The German federal government appears unable to substantiate claims made by Chief of Staff to the Chancellor, Thorsten Frei, regarding the alleged diversion of aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip. Frei had publicly stated that “50 to 90 and more percent” of aid was being “hijacked by terrorists, by Hamas, by organized crime.
In a response to a written inquiry from the Green Party and reported by “Der Spiegel” magazine, the Foreign Office indicated its assessment draws upon information from the United Nations, humanitarian organizations and intelligence assessments. According to the report, the figures cited by Frei during a television interview originated with Germany’s federal intelligence service (BND), but were limited to incidents occurring during a brief period in early July.
Luise Amtsberg, a Green Party member of the German Parliament, stated that “the claim that a majority of those crowding around these scarce supplies are terrorists or criminals is not substantiated by any evidence”. She added that a chief of staff is expected to accurately assess the situation on the ground. Amtsberg called on the Chancellery to increase pressure on the Israeli government, rather than contributing to the discrediting of humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, which she described as undertaking “very dangerous work”.