The looting of nearly 100 aid trucks in southern Gaza over the weekend marks one of the worst incidents involving aid disruption in the region. UNRWA reported that 97 out of 109 trucks carrying food supplies for the agency and the World Food Programme were seized at gunpoint, with aid workers injured and vehicles extensively damaged.
This crisis highlights the breakdown of law and order in Gaza, with the UN blaming the volatile environment partly on Israeli policies and the challenges of delivering aid in a war-torn area. Efforts to safely distribute aid are increasingly obstructed by delays, theft, and attacks.
Amid the looting, Gaza’s interior ministry reportedly responded by killing over 20 individuals allegedly involved in the theft, according to Hamas-run media. Palestinian groups condemned the looters, framing them as threats to internal security and the civilian population’s survival.
This chaos unfolds against a dire backdrop of worsening food and aid shortages in Gaza, with the UN warning of a looming famine. Civilians fleeing military operations recount severe hunger, while aid agencies warn of the escalating humanitarian catastrophe without immediate intervention.
Relations between Israel and UNRWA have significantly deteriorated, adding to the complexities of aid distribution. A recent Israeli law effectively banning UNRWA operations in its territories, including East Jerusalem and the West Bank, is set to come into effect, further limiting the agency’s reach.
Gaza Aid Crisis Worsens Amid Looting, Violence, and Escalating Tensions with UNRWA
Israel alleges that UNRWA has ties to Hamas and promotes anti-Israel rhetoric, claims the agency denies. UNRWA leadership has expressed grave concerns about this development, stressing that no alternative exists to provide comparable support to Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Israeli strikes in Gaza continue to take a heavy toll on civilians. On Monday, airstrikes killed at least 50 people, including 17 members of a single family in Beit Lahiya. The family, including children and a newborn, were related to a cardiologist working at a local hospital, which was also attacked. Doctors and hospital staff described the constant shelling and the psychological and physical toll it is taking on civilians and patients alike, calling for an urgent halt to the violence.
This latest incident underscores the spiraling humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with aid delivery obstructed, civilians caught in escalating violence, and tensions between Israel and international agencies further complicating relief efforts. UNRWA has called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and emphasized the dire need for a functioning civil infrastructure to ensure aid can reach those who desperately need it.
