The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) issued a strong rebuttal on Wednesday to statements made by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) regarding humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
UNRWA claimed in a social media post that temperatures in Gaza had risen above 40°C, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation marked by dehydration, limited electricity, and ongoing bombardments. The agency concluded its statement by calling for a ceasefire.
In response, COGAT stated that water is currently available in Gaza through Israeli pipelines, local water pumping stations, and desalination facilities. The Israeli authority also noted that it had facilitated the connection of an electricity line to a desalination plant and approved a United Arab Emirates-backed initiative to establish 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," COGAT said in a post. "Stop parading Hamas narratives to show off relevance."
COGAT further challenged UNRWA's report on the extreme heat, stating that temperatures in Gaza had not exceeded 35°C, according to data from the meteorological service. The agency emphasized that while "falsehoods" continue to circulate, it remains committed to facilitating humanitarian aid for Gaza's civilian population, not for Hamas.