WASHINGTON: An internal US government analysis has found no evidence of any systematic theft of US-funded humanitarian supplies by Hamas, challenging the main rationale that Israel and the US give for backing a new, armed private aid operation.

The analysis, which has not been previously reported, was conducted by a bureau within the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and completed in late June.

It examined 156 incidents of theft or loss of US-funded supplies reported by US partner organisations between Oct 2023 and May 2025.

It found no reports alleging Hamas benefited from US-funded supplies, according to findings seen by Reuters.

The study was conducted by the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of USAID, which was the largest funder of assistance to Gaza before the Trump administration froze all US foreign aid in January, terminating thousands of programs.

A State Department spokesperson disputed the findings, claiming that there was video evidence of Hamas looting aid, but provided no such videos.

The spokesperson also accused traditional humanitarian groups of covering up `aid corruption`.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly questioned the existence of the analysis, saying no State Department official had seen it and that it `was likely produced by a deep state operative` seeking to discredit President Donald Trump`s `humanitarian agenda.

But these findings were shared with the USAID`s inspector general`s office and State Department officials involved in Middle East policy, said two sources familiar with the matter, and come as dire food shortages deepen in the devastated enclave.

Israel claimed it is allowing in aid, but must control it to prevent it from being stolen by Hamas, which it blames for the humanitarian crisis.

The militarised distribution sites of the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), meanwhile, have become killing fields for Palestinian aid seekers.

The UN has refused to work with the GHF over humanitarian violations, and even Doctors Without Borders minced no words when it came to the new aid delivery system.

`These food distributions are not humanitarian aid; they are war crimes committed in broad daylight and presented to the world with compassionate language,` Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, MSF deputy medical coordinator in Gaza, said inthe statement.

Israeli military actions blamed The analysis found that at least 44 of the 156 incidents where aid supplies were reported stolen or lost were either directly or indirectly due to Israeli military actions.

Asked about the USAID report, the Israeli military told Reuters that its allegations are based on intelligence reports that Hamas militants seized cargoes by `both covertly and overtly` embedding themselves on aid trucks.

But Hamas denies the allegations; an official said that Israel has killed more than 800 police and security guards trying to protect aid vehicles and convoy routes, whose missions were coordinated with the UN.

The 156 reports of theft or losses of supplies reviewed by BHA were filed by UN agencies and other humanitarian groups working in Gaza as a condition of receiving US aid funds.

A second source familiar with the matter said that after receiving reports of US-funded aid thefts or losses, USAID staff followed up with partner organizations to try to determine if there was Hamas involvement.

Those organizations also would `redirect or pause` aid distributions if they learned that Hamas was in the vicinity, the source said.

Aid organizations working in Gaza also are required to vet their personnel, sub-contractors and suppliers for ties to extremist groups before receiving US funds, a condition that the State Department waived in approving $30 million for GHF last month.

Of the 156 incidents of loss or theft reported, 63 were attributed to unknown perpetrators, 35 to armed actors, 25 to unarmed people, 11 directly to Israeli military action, 11 to corrupt subcontractors, five to aid group personnel engaging in corrupt activities, and six to others,` a category that accounted for commodities stolen in unknown circumstances, according to the slide presentation.

The armed actors included gangs and other miscellaneous individuals who may have had weapons, said a slide. Another slide said `a review of all 156 incidents found no affiliations with` US-designated foreign terrorist organizations.

Losses indirectly attributed to Israeli military included cases where they compelled aid groups to use delivery routes with high risks of theft or looting, ignoring requests for alternative routes, the analysis said.-Reuters