Almost 100 Aid Trucks in Gaza Looted by Armed Men

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Facts

  • The UN's primary agency for Palestinian refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that almost 100 trucks of aid were violently looted on Saturday shortly after crossing into Gaza from Israel, the worst such incident since the war began. UNRWA did not specify who carried out the looting.[1]
  • Witnesses reported that masked men armed with guns and grenades attacked the convoy of 109 trucks, looting 97 of them. The UNRWA blamed the 'total breakdown of civil order' in Gaza, adding that it had 'become an impossible environment to operate in.'[2]
  • The Washington Post and Israeli outlet Haaretz have reported that organized gangs are stealing much of the aid Israel allows into Gaza, operating freely in areas controlled by the Israeli military. Residents have said that the looters are connected to local crime families who rival Hamas.[3][4]
  • On Monday, Hamas said it had killed 20 people accused of looting in a 'high-quality security operation' carried out by the group's internal security services in collaboration with tribal committees east of Rafah. Hamas added that the operation did not target specific clans.[5]
  • The incident on Saturday led to shortages and a surge in prices in central Gaza, where most Palestinians in the strip are now located. In northern Gaza, where Israel launched a major offensive last month, a severe hunger crisis persists. Experts say a famine may be unfolding.[6]
  • Aid entering Gaza has reached its lowest levels since the first weeks of the war. A UN Special Committee alleged Israel was using starvation as a method of war, which Israel denied. Israel has blamed aid agencies for shortages by failing to effectively distribute aid.[7][8]

Sources: [1]Al Jazeera, [2]BBC, [3]Haaretz.com, [4]Washington Post, [5]Ynetnews, [6]NBC, [7]CNN and [8]New York Times.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by NBC. Israel's war against Hamas is surely just, given the atrocities the group committed during its Oct. 7 attack. However, Israel must take into account the innocent civilians in Gaza who are trapped between Israel's military machine and Hamas' terrorist fighters. Humanitarian aid entering the strip must be significantly increased, and the US will continue to push Israel in the right direction.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by HonestReporting. The media continues to spread baseless lies of famine in Gaza. More than enough aid is entering the strip, and the real problem, as always, is Hamas. The terror group has worked to control aid movements through Gaza, harming the civilian population. If the US wants to help end the suffering of Palestinians in the strip, it must support Israel's goal of crushing Hamas.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middleeastmonitor. Israel is purposefully facilitating the looting of aid convoys to exacerbate Gaza's hunger crisis. Considering that looting is the most prevalent in areas under Israeli military control and Israel's countless attacks on Gaza's local police force, it's quite obvious what Israel's intentions are. Indeed, Israel's genocidal war on Gaza continues unabated.

Predictions