The United Nations’ top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, has demanded that Israel provide evidence to support its latest claims that UN aid workers in Gaza are affiliated with Hamas, allegations that threaten to further cripple humanitarian efforts as famine and mass death sweep the besieged enclave.

In a formal letter to the UN Security Council, Fletcher denounced the accusations made by Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon, describing them as unsubstantiated and dangerously reckless. “If Israel has evidence, it must present it, immediately and transparently,” Fletcher wrote, warning that such claims endanger lives on the ground.

Danon’s announcement of stricter visa controls and security vetting for OCHA personnel has been met with alarm by UN officials, who view the move as part of a broader campaign to silence humanitarian agencies reporting on Gaza’s collapse. No proof has yet been presented to justify the charges, which Fletcher said undermine OCHA’s decades-long record of neutrality and professionalism.

The reality on the ground leaves little room for politics. Over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, with hunger, disease, and displacement spreading under Israel’s total blockade. Aid delivery now requires contact with Gaza’s administrative authorities, an operational necessity, not a political alignment.

UN officials warn that the real danger lies not in fabricated accusations, but in the deliberate obstruction of life-saving aid. As Gaza descends into unprecedented devastation, attempts to discredit relief workers only deepen the isolation of a people already cut off from food, medicine, and the world’s protection.