Criminal Gangs Loot Aid Trucks, Halting Humanitarian Aid Distribution in Gaza
Humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza has come to a standstill as criminal gangs and desperate Palestinians loot aid trucks before they can reach their intended destinations. More than 450 trucks carrying food and medical supplies are stranded at the Kerem Shalom crossing, as aid agencies struggle to ensure safe passage through the besieged strip. The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza has already affected law and order, but the situation worsened after Palestinian police stopped operating due to months without salaries and Israeli air strikes on police stations and cars.
The 3km stretch of road that trucks must traverse from Kerem Shalom to the unloading area inside Gaza has become a crucial chokepoint. Only a few trucks have managed to safely cross this area in recent days. Scott Anderson, senior deputy director at the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, in Gaza, explains that there has been a breakdown in law and order over many months, which has now escalated into criminal elements attempting to intercept aid before it reaches distribution points.
In just four days, the disruption on the 3km corridor has nearly emptied UNRWA’s warehouses, making the resumption of aid deliveries crucial. The UN has been able to deliver hot meals, wheat flour, and tinned food to feed at least 1 million people, but conditions along the road have become increasingly dangerous. Anderson compares the situation to “Mad Max territory,” referencing the post-apocalyptic violence depicted in Hollywood movies. Trucks have been attacked, with one even having an axe thrown through its window. A Jordanian aid truck was looted, and the driver suffered a broken arm.
Even aid that manages to pass through this dangerous corridor is not safe. Gangs of young men have been jumping fences into unloading areas, stealing supplies and transporting them on donkey carts. Fresh fruits and vegetables leaving the unloading area are also being looted. Transporting aid from southern Gaza to the north is particularly perilous, as young men target trucks and steal supplies, leaving older people and women unable to access them.
The World Food Programme has suspended aid deliveries to northern Gaza after crowds of hungry people descended on its trucks, which also faced gunfire. With the needs of a population of 2.3 million far surpassing the available humanitarian assistance, aid convoys have become lucrative targets for criminal elements. Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the Middle East, states that “lawlessness breeds lawlessness.” He believes that if a regular supply of aid can be secured, people wouldn’t feel the need to steal it.
To alleviate the situation, Israel could allow more points for aid to cross into Gaza, especially in the north, and create a secure environment for deliveries. McGoldrick also suggests involving local community leaders to accompany the deliveries and ensure they reach their final destinations. Israeli officials, however, blame the UN and other international bodies for the lack of logistical capacity in Gaza.
On a positive note, Egypt has brokered a tentative deal with Israel to allow Palestinian police to return to work in official cars, albeit without their uniforms. This development raises hopes that the police can now secure aid convoys. The police had been reluctant to resume operations following an Israeli airstrike on February 6 that killed six policemen as they were securing a road for an aid truck carrying flour in southern Gaza.
Israel’s targeting of some police officers in Gaza is an attempt to “disconnect” Hamas from governing the enclave, according to sources familiar with Israeli operations. Israel is also concerned that Hamas may be diverting aid for its own purposes. Commercial supplies through the Rafah crossing with Egypt have also been disrupted.
The situation in Gaza remains fragile, with people living hand-to-mouth and aid agencies struggling to provide consistent support. Jamie McGoldrick emphasizes the need for a backstop and a constant pipeline of aid to alleviate the suffering of the population in Gaza.