Why do so many commentators fail to address the role of Hamas in the torment of Gaza?

We have all seen the haunting images of starving children coming out of Gaza. Difficult questions are quite rightly being asked of Israel, yet many commentators in the UK are failing to address the role Hamas is playing in the torment of the Palestinian people.

You wouldn't know from a lot of media coverage that Hamas even exists. They are either entirely invisible or the media euphemistically describes them as the "Health Ministry", which sounds like a wellness centre. But Hamas remains a terrorist organisation focused on perpetuating conflict, not on governance such as feeding people.

Recent footage reveals well-fed Hamas fighters flaunting their food supplies in tunnels beneath starving civilians. This is the reality. For nearly two years, the UN and other agencies have repeatedly claimed there is mass starvation in Gaza, often misrepresenting reports and aid truck counts. Now genuine food shortages exist, creating the heartbreaking images we see today. No child should die from hunger. So how did we get here?

Hamas historically profited by stealing and reselling UN aid, helping to fund its attacks against Israel. The problem led the US and Israel to set up the alternative Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) distribution scheme, so aid wouldn't fall into their hands. Furious at their loss of their funding stream, Hamas frequently accuses Israel of shootings at GHF aid centres - reports the media repeat, only to usually find them exposed as false or misleading later.

Too many people are willing to accept the false narrative that Israel would lure starving people to aid sites in order to slaughter them in cold blood. This is a shocking lack of critical thinking. What would Israel have to gain from this?

Meanwhile, drone footage from Gaza shows around 950 UN food trucks rotting on the Gaza side of the crossing. That is a scandalous failure on the part of the UN and its agencies on the ground.

In 2009, UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) suspended operations after repeated Hamas aid theft. Since then they've accommodated this reality, such as providing Hamas with energy supplies and participating in other questionable activities. To maintain existing power structures, the UN appears willing to enable Gaza's suffering.

In this age of confusion, trustworthy information is crucial. Without it, we're trapped choosing between competing propagandas. And judging by the amount of attacks on British Jews that use the conflict as pretext, Hamas have a powerful propaganda ecosystem.

• Alex Hearn is director of Labour Against Antisemitism