A convoy of 109 trucks was violently looted on Saturday (16 Nov) after entering Gaza, resulting in the loss of 97 trucks, according to an official from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The convoy, which was carrying vital supplies from UNRWA and the World Food Programme, was ambushed shortly after it was rerouted on short notice by Israeli authorities.
The looting, which UNRWA described as one of the worst incidents in the more than 13-month-old Israeli assault on Gaza, highlights the growing difficulties faced by humanitarian efforts in the region.
Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer for UNRWA, explained that the convoy had been instructed to take an unfamiliar route from the Kerem Shalom crossing, a decision that contributed to the convoy’s vulnerability to attack.
Wateridge emphasized the dire consequences of this looting, which underscores the severe access challenges humanitarian agencies face in delivering aid to southern and central Gaza.
“Without immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further endangering the lives of over two million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive,” she told Reuters on Monday (18 Nov).
However, UNRWA did not specify who was responsible for the looting.
A joint 109-truck @UN convoy carrying food supplies to people in #Gaza was violently looted on 16 November. The vast majority of the trucks, 97 in total, were lost and drivers were forced at gunpoint to unload aid.
Due to critical shortages of flour, all eight UN-supported… pic.twitter.com/59RHJKWLAU
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) November 18, 2024
In response to the looting of the aid convoy, Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry claimed that its security forces, in coordination with local tribal committees, had killed more than 20 gang members involved in the theft.
The ministry issued a stern warning, stating that anyone aiding looters would face severe consequences.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the attack, attributing it to the “total breakdown of civil order” in Gaza.
He emphasized that the deteriorating situation had created “an impossible environment to operate in.”
Lazzarini explained that the local capacity to escort convoys had collapsed in recent months, leaving aid operations exposed to looting by gangs vying for control of food supplies.
He also reported that hundreds of desperate residents in Khan Younis attempted to storm a UNRWA-run vocational center, mistakenly believing aid had been delivered there.
However, the looted aid never reached the warehouses, leaving the people with nothing.
This incident highlights the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
A UN-backed assessment earlier this month warned of a “strong likelihood of famine” in northern Gaza, exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing ground offensive and a dramatic reduction in aid deliveries.
According to UNRWA, fewer aid trucks entered Gaza last month than at any time since the war began in October 2023, and the agency has expressed concern that food shortages will continue to worsen without immediate intervention.
The Israeli body responsible for humanitarian affairs in Gaza, COGAT, acknowledged the challenges faced by UN aid organizations and stated that it was working on measures to facilitate aid transfer from the Kerem Shalom crossing to Gaza.
COGAT also noted that aid has been accumulating on the Palestinians side, waiting for collection and distribution after Israeli inspection.
With the challenges the UN aid organizations experience in distributing aid, we are working together on various measures that will facilitate the transfer of aid from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to Gazans in needs.
For months now, aid has been piling up on the Gazan side, after…
— COGAT (@cogatonline) November 18, 2024
In a separate development, rights organizations, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, have also criticized Israel for failing to meet a US deadline to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The deadline, which expired on 12 November 2024, followed a letter from US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, urging Israel to act or face unspecified restrictions on military assistance.
Despite claims from the Israeli military that some aid was delivered to northern Gaza, rights groups argue that the amount of aid reaching the region remains insufficient and far below what is required.
Since the escalation of violence on 7 October 2023, at least 43,846 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 103,740 injured, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
As aid convoys face increasing threats and obstacles, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deteriorate, leaving millions in dire need of food, water, and medical supplies.
