A boy fills water in a bowl next to tents in Gaza City . AFP
In a statement issued Wednesday, Hamas said, "These sanctions will only exacerbate the suffering of the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip, which is subjected to ongoing war and siege."
The movement emphasized that "these measures represent a clear bias towards the Israeli occupation."
Hamas called on the US administration to "immediately reverse these decisions and compel the occupation to implement its obligations under existing agreements, foremost among them opening the crossings, allowing the entry of humanitarian aid and shelter supplies, and enabling the National Committee to carry out its work urgently."
The movement concluded its statement by affirming that targeting humanitarian work and relief organizations will not deter the Palestinian people from continuing their steadfastness and defending their legitimate national rights.
The Hamas statement comes amid a continued US escalation against many Palestinian institutions and figures, through the imposition of financial and administrative sanctions under the pretext of their alleged involvement in prohibited activities.
Palestinian authorities have rejected these accusations, asserting that they target humanitarian and relief work in the Palestinian territories.
The US measures and the Hamas condemnation also come as Israel continues its campaign to strip the Palestinian population in the occupied territories of any access to international humanitarian aid by banning tens of aid groups from operating in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and demolishing the headquarters of UNRWA in East Jerusalem.
Human rights and humanitarian organizations have warned that the continuation of these US measures will undermine relief efforts and exacerbate the suffering of civilians, especially children, women, and the elderly, at a time when the Gaza Strip urgently needs international support and guarantees of unimpeded access for aid, free from political or security obstacles.
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