Several United Nations food trucks were looted overnight in Gaza, according to local residents and merchants. The attack came a day after chaotic scenes when desperate Palestinians stormed a distribution center run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization recently launched to deliver aid under a new Israeli-approved system.
Food Aid Targeted Amid Hunger Crisis
The pillaging underscores the increasing difficulties in getting humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fighting hunger and near-famine levels as a result of a continued Israeli siege.
Even though Israel permitted limited shipment of aid convoys, including 95 trucks run by the UN and other international organizations, some were intercepted by pillagers, witnesses reported.
A Palestinian truck driver said Reuters that approximately 20 trucks of the UN World Food Programme were attacked shortly after midnight. “Some managed to get through, and then apparently someone got wind of that,” said one witness using a messaging application, asking not to be quoted by name. “They woke up, some set up obstacles on the road, intercepted and hijacked the cargo.”
Disputes Over Crowd Control and Security Measures
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which was under fire for Tuesday’s violence, dismissed reports that its distribution center had been ‘overrun’. I
n a statement, the organization explained that its staff had briefly relaxed security measures “to protect against crowd responses to finally getting food.” The group also asserted, “No shots were fired into crowds or beneficiaries harmed.”
Yet Israeli soldiers had made warning shots as crowds of people moved in great numbers towards the point where aid was being handed out on Tuesday. Ajith Sunghay, the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, cautioned, “What we witnessed yesterday was a very clear illustration of the risk of distributing food. We are putting people in danger of being killed and injured.” He reported 47 individuals had been shot and injured during the incident.
Videos on the web showed fences knocked down and private security guards backing away as crowds poured in. “I am a large man, but I couldn’t contain my tears as I watched women, men, and children running towards some food,” stated Rabah Rezik, a 65-year-old father of seven from Gaza City.
UN Refuses to Join New Aid Plan
The United Nations and other aid agencies have refused the new aid delivery system, citing neutrality and screening requirements for recipients for suspected connections to Hamas. Based on eyewitnesses, this screening was ineffective or not used at all during Tuesday’s delivery.
Though the Israeli military claims that the system is intended to keep Hamas from commandeering aid, UN officials state that they have no indication of Hamas looting since restrictions were partially lifted this month.
Nevertheless, Hamas has called on citizens to steer clear of the four new distribution facilities in southern Gaza but insisted it is not turning people away.
Mounting International Pressure on Israel
As conditions in Gaza become increasingly humanitarian, global pressure on Israel’s military offensive continues to build. Italy followed France, Britain, and Germany in warning that the offensive would become unacceptable unless restrained.
The violence began when a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 individuals and resulted in the kidnapping of 251 hostages, Israeli officials said.
Israel has since responded militarily, and more than 54,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in response. Much of Gaza has been levelled to the ground.
On Wednesday, at least 30 were killed in Israeli attacks, including eight from the family of a journalist, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the murder of Hamas Gaza leader Mohammad Sinwar as a major move towards the ‘total defeat of Hamas’, further stating, “Israel was taking over food distribution” in the enclave.
Meanwhile, U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, criticized the UN and others for staying out of the new system, calling it ‘sad and disgusting’. He added, “There were lines of people that got food which was not stolen by Hamas. The manner in which it was distributed is effective so far.”
