Organized Looting Throws Gaza Deeper Into Chaos

Hazem Isleem, a Palestinian truck driver, was passing by means of the ruins of southern Gaza final month with a truckload of assist when armed looters ambushed his convoy.

One of the gunmen broke into his truck, forcing him to drive to a close-by discipline and unload 1000’s of kilos of flour supposed for hungry Palestinians, he mentioned by telephone from Gaza. By the subsequent morning, the gang had stripped just about the entire provides from the convoy of about 100 vehicles of United Nations assist, sufficient to feed tens of 1000’s of individuals, in what the United Nations described as one of many worst such episodes of the warfare.

“It was terrifying,” mentioned Mr. Isleem, 47, whom the looters held for 13 hours whereas they pillaged the flour. “But the worst half was we weren’t in a position to ship the meals to the folks.”

Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza in response to the Hamas-led Oct. 7 assault final yr has unleashed a humanitarian disaster within the enclave, with greater than 45,000 folks lifeless, in line with native well being officers, who don’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Hunger is widespread, and Israel has positioned restrictions on the entry of assist into Gaza and blocked motion of assist vehicles between the north and south.

Though Hamas has been routed in a lot of the territory, Israel has not put an alternate authorities in place. In elements of southern Gaza, armed gangs have crammed the ensuing energy vacuum, leaving assist teams unwilling to danger delivering provides.

The U.N. company for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, mentioned this month that it could not ship assist by means of Kerem Shalom, the principle border crossing between Israel and southern Gaza, due to the breakdown in regulation and order.