Gaza Warehouse Discovery Challenges Media Narratives on Baby Formula

Evidence Reveals Hamas Withheld Infant Formula While Media Blamed Israel

Video evidence published online this week has exposed a disturbing reality in Gaza: tons of baby formula and nutritional shakes were stored in Hamas warehouses and deliberately kept from civilians who desperately needed them.

The footage, shared by Gaza-born analyst Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, shows warehouses operated by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health filled with infant formula and children’s nutritional products during a period when international media was reporting widespread infant malnutrition and starvation.

Throughout summer 2025, global media outlets ran emotional stories about Gazan babies suffering from malnutrition. The New York Times reported that “Parents in Gaza Are Running Out of Ways to Feed Their Children,” while The Guardian warned babies were “at risk of death from lack of formula.” These reports, accompanied by images of gaunt children, created a narrative that Israel was deliberately restricting humanitarian aid.

Israel consistently rejected these accusations, maintaining that substantial quantities of infant formula were entering Gaza. According to Israeli records, more than 1,400 tons of baby formula, including specialized products for infants with medical conditions, had been delivered to the territory during the height of the reported crisis.

The question that remained unanswered until now was: Where did all that formula go?

Alkhatib, known for his independent criticism of Hamas, provided the answer with video evidence showing the supplies were being stockpiled by Hamas authorities rather than distributed to families in need. This revelation undermines months of reporting that placed blame squarely on Israeli blockades and restrictions.

“During the worst of the days of the hunger crisis in Gaza in the past six months, Hamas deliberately hid literal tons of infant formula and nutritional shakes for children by storing them in clandestine warehouses belonging to the Gaza Ministry of Health,” Alkhatib wrote in a social media post accompanying the video evidence.

This discovery highlights Hamas’s strategic approach to the conflict—one that appears willing to leverage civilian suffering for political gain. By restricting access to essential supplies while promoting images of suffering children, the organization effectively manipulated international perception of the conflict while evading responsibility for the humanitarian consequences of its actions.

The revelation comes at a critical juncture in the ongoing conflict, which has now stretched over two years. Israel has maintained that removing Hamas from power remains a central condition for any lasting ceasefire, citing the organization’s consistent pattern of endangering civilian lives.

Market analysts note that the diversion of humanitarian aid has significant implications beyond the immediate humanitarian crisis. International aid organizations have spent millions on formula and nutritional supplements for Gaza, with the assumption that distribution problems were primarily caused by Israeli restrictions. This revelation raises questions about accountability in aid distribution and may impact future funding decisions.

Notably, many of the same media outlets that aggressively promoted the narrative of Israel deliberately starving children have remained conspicuously silent about this new evidence. The stark contrast between the widespread coverage of alleged Israeli culpability and the muted response to evidence of Hamas’s role in creating the crisis has raised concerns about media bias in coverage of the conflict.

Humanitarian experts point out that this pattern of aid diversion is not unprecedented in conflict zones. Similar tactics have been documented in other regions where controlling access to essential supplies becomes a tool for maintaining power over civilian populations.

As this evidence continues to circulate, international observers are calling for greater transparency in aid distribution and more nuanced reporting on the complex factors contributing to humanitarian crises in conflict zones like Gaza.

For families in Gaza who struggled to feed their infants during this period, the revelation that formula was being withheld while their children suffered represents a profound betrayal of trust by authorities responsible for their welfare.