A convoy of 109 United Nations (UN) aid trucks carrying essential food supplies was violently looted in Gaza on Saturday, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees reported. The looting happened after the convoy crossed the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing into southern Gaza. Of the 109 trucks, 97 were forcibly taken by masked attackers, who used grenades and other weapons to seize the aid. The drivers are said to have been held at gunpoint and forced to unload supplies.

The UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, described the situation in Gaza as a “total breakdown of civil order,” which has complicated humanitarian agencies’ functioning almost entirely. The incident marks one of the most severe disruptions to humanitarian aid delivery in the region’s recent history.

Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

As the UN has warned, food shortages are quickly becoming catastrophic for Gaza’s nearly two million residents, most of whom survive on humanitarian aid.
An early October UN assessment said that parts of northern Gaza are now at risk of famine as an Israeli ground offensive continued and deliveries of assistance have tapered off since the war began in October 2023.

Culprits and Response

While UNRWA was mum on who was responsible for the looting, Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry declared it has killed more than 20 people involved in the theft of aid. The ministry said the operation was conducted in cooperation with local tribal committees. While Commissioner-General Lazzarini calls local gangs and families as “competing owners” when it comes to dwindling resources, further complicating the issue.

International Response

Through a statement on social media platform X, UNRWA accused Israel of failing to fulfill obligations in international law towards making sure that aid distribution and security needs were met in Gaza. COGAT responded that it was working with UN agencies to facilitate better logistics regarding aid delivery but said Hamas was impeding access.

Casualties amongst civilians continue to increase

Alongside the worsening humanitarian crisis, Israeli airstrikes across Gaza reportedly killed over 30 people on Monday, including 17 members of a single family near Kamal Adwan hospital. In southern Gaza’s al-Mawasi humanitarian zone, four people, including two children, were killed when a tent was struck.

The latest hostilities, that erupted following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, have caused havoc on both sides; while Gaza’s health ministry reported more than 43,920 deaths in the territory since Israel launched its military campaign.

As conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate, international humanitarian agencies continue to call for urgent interventions to avoid further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire.

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