A viral claim that Hamas deliberately hid tons of baby formula in warehouses to worsen starvation and damage Israel's reputation has been amplified by right-wing media outlets. The claim originated with a US-based anti-Hamas activist and has since been revealed as misleading or false by multiple investigations.

The Claim

In December 2025, claims circulated on social media alleging that Hamas had deliberately hidden "tons of infant formula and nutritional shakes" in clandestine warehouses belonging to the Gaza Ministry of Health, intentionally withholding supplies from desperate Palestinian families to deepen a hunger crisis and advance a famine narrative against Israel.

The primary viral post came from Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, who shared a video on X (Twitter) on December 9, 2025, stating that Hamas "deliberately hid literal tons" of supplies. He claimed the goal was "to worsen the hunger crisis and initiate a disaster as part of a terror group's famine narrative in a desperate effort to stop Israel's onslaught against Gaza and force the return of the UN's aid distribution mechanism, and away from the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)."

The Reality: Israel Has Been Withholding Baby Formula

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated in July 2025 that "Roughly 2,500 tons of infant formula have been transferred into the Gaza Strip since May 2024." This is a misleading claim.

• This was documented by multiple credible outlets: NBC News, Haaretz, Times of Israel
• UN data and humanitarian agencies “corroborate” that small amounts of infant formula has been entering Gaza through Israeli-coordinated aid operations.
• COGAT stated it does not restrict entry of baby food, including formula, into Gaza Strip. Confirmed reports of turned away aid trucks, and
• France 24 verifies the claim that Oxycodone was laced into bags of flour brought to Gaza by GHF
• The Israeli numbers include aid that was destroyed by settlers at the crossings, and aid that was delayed for days or weeks allowing for it to spoil.

The Malnutrition Crisis Is Real — But Caused by Multiple Factors, Not Just Formula

There is no dispute that Gaza has been experiencing catastrophic malnutrition among infants and children. Multiple credible sources have documented this independently of Israel:

• NBC News: Nine infants died from malnutrition in 24 hours. Total 122 malnutrition deaths since Oct 2023, including 83 children.
• WHO: Announced "deadly surge in malnutrition-related deaths" and warned that severe acute malnutrition centers are full.
• UNFPA: Births declined by 41% in first six months of 2024. 17,000 newborns required neonatal care but couldn't access it.
• Hundreds of social media videos document aid delays and attacks on trucks by Israeli settlers backed up IOF and Israeli police.

The claim that Israel was withholding formula is true. The causes are documented: Israeli military operations, blockades, Hamas aid diversion, and distribution delays, as well as aid blockades from settlers, entire aid trucks destroyed by settlers, and aid that was blocked for so long it was spoiled.

Who Is Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib?

The New York Post article was written by Ronny Reyes and published December 9, 2025 — not by Sharon Levy or Honest Reporting in December 2025.

Alkhatib's background raises credibility concerns: He is a US-based "anti-Hamas activist" — not an independent Gaza journalist or humanitarian worker. He describes himself as a "Gaza-born analyst known for his independent criticism of Hamas."

Honest Reporting's December 2025 fact-check explicitly noted that Alkhatib "advocates for peace and a two-state solution" and "said Hamas needs to be held accountable for its role in the destruction and death in the Gaza Strip."

This context suggests Alkhatib may have an interest in advancing narratives that are critical of Hamas — including narratives about famine — even if those narratives involve exaggerating or misrepresenting situations.

The Video: What Does It Actually Show?

The video Alkhatib shared shows a Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health warehouse with stacks of infant formula and nutritional shakes. He claims this proves Hamas was hoarding supplies.

However, this interpretation is not supported by the facts:

• The Gaza Ministry of Health — controlled by Hamas — has repeatedly reported shortages of infant formula and malnutrition throughout the crisis.
• Medical professionals on the ground have documented shortages. There is no evidence from UN or humanitarian agencies that Hamas was stockpiling formula while families starved.
• The presence of formula in a Ministry of Health warehouse could simply be normal storage of limited supplies during a distribution crisis — not evidence of a deliberate hoarding plot.
• What appears to be an alley where aid was dumped. The ground is dirt and rubble, not a solid warehouse floor, trash bags mixed in with the boxes, alley cats scavenging, and a dumpster in the back ground.
• Less than 1/3 of a truck load of baby formula and shakes.
• Exterior walls of a random building

What the Video Does Not Show…

• The location of the discovered aid boxes containing baby formula and shakes.
• If the location is in fact a Gaza Health Ministry warehouse.
• If the formula and shakes are good or expired

The UN and humanitarian organizations coordinating aid deliveries to Gaza would be aware if Hamas was stockpiling formula — yet they have continued operating inside Gaza.

The Timing: Why Did This Claim Surface in December 2025?

The claim began circulating in December 2025. However, by July 2025 — when Israel stated that 2,500 tons had been delivered — major outlets were reporting on Gaza's malnutrition crisis.

• Doctors in Gaza were warning of formula shortages in June-July 2025. UN agencies were documenting declining birth rates and malnutrition.
• If Hamas had been hoarding formula in May 2024, why did the formula shortages not emerge until July-August 2025?

Source Credibility: How Reputable Are These Outlets?

New York Post: Amplified unverified claim without proper fact-checking. Author Ronny Reyes has no Middle East background.

• Honest Reporting: Published a “fact-check” “Verifying” Alkhatib's claim on December 11, 2025 — 1 days after the NY Post article.
• The NY Post and other outlets that amplified Alkhatib's claim did not bother to show the video, even though it was available.

The malnutrition crisis Gaza's children face is a tragedy that demands serious, evidence-based reporting — not recycling of unverified accusations from partisan sources.

Verdict: False with Misleading Facts

The claim that Hamas deliberately hoarded baby formula is misleading and lacks credible evidence. Israel has delivered up to 2,500 tons of infant formula to Gaza since May 2024. A far stretch from what is needed. Gaza's malnutrition crisis is real and devastating, but documented causes include Israeli military operations, blockades, Israeli aid diversion, Aid blockade protest by settles(including participation by IOF), and distribution delays.

This appears to be a random alley where a small amount of formula and nutritional shakes were discarded, not this inside of a warehouse, not a property controlled by Hamas or any faction of the Gaza government. The status of this aid is unknown it could have been spoiled, damaged, or contaminated in some way. Government stock houses do not have hoards of cats eating the food stores .

1. Alkhatib created the video in an intentionally miss leading way, and did not bother to collect a single piece of evidence to support his claims. (Trust me Bro)
2. The NY Post ran the story one day later with out bothering to verify the claims in anyway or even contact Alkhatib (Trust him Bro)
3. Honest Reporting creates a fake “fact-check” to cement the narrative. (Trust them Bro)
   
   

Gaza's children and infants deserve accurate, verified reporting — not recycled claims that serve political narratives.