Rise in Looting Spotted in Desperate Gaza According to Testimonies and Relief Organizations
Informal and original rewrite:
GAZA STRIP - Chaos unfolds as desperation grips the Gaza Strip, with armed groups and civilians looting warehouses and essential establishments after over two months of Israel's blockade. The situation has spiraled into what could be the worst crisis in nearly two years, with deadlier airstrikes continuing over the weekend.
More than a dozen people were killed in Israel's latest attacks, and the looting incidents have seen an alarming surge. Witnesses and aid workers tell the Associated Press that since last Wednesday, individuals, both armed and unarmed, have broken into warehouses held by the United Nations, aid groups, commercial warehouses, bakeries, stores, and shops[1].
Israel has barred humanitarian aid from entering Gaza since the ceasefire with Hamas ended in March. The blockade and renewed military campaign aim to force Hamas to release the remaining hostages it still holds and disarm the Palestinian militant group[1]. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has previously cautioned that starving civilians as a military tactic amounts to a war crime[1].
The humanitarian crises have pushed civilians to the brink, leading to incidents of looting throughout the war[1][5]. However, the recent incidents mark an escalation, with the looting becoming less organized and spreading to urban areas[1].
The looting in Gaza City started on Wednesday evening, following reports that aid trucks were entering the north from the south[1]. An anonymous aid worker reported that a group of armed individuals broke into a local bakery, driven by rumors of stored food supplies. Unfortunately, the storage was empty, and the group moved on to a soup kitchen affiliated with an international aid group in the Shati camp, where they ransacked the facility[1].
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) had to evacuate its staffers on Wednesday after thousands of Palestinians breached its Gaza City field office and took medications. Louise Wateridge, a senior emergency officer at UNRWA, stated that the looting was "the direct result of unbearable and prolonged deprivation"[1].
Looting continued through Friday night, with dozens of armed men storming into at least two United Nations warehouses, bypassing police and local security guards protecting the facilities[1]. "There were organized gangs," said Ahmed Abu Awad, a resident of western Gaza City, where some of the looting took place[1].
According to a witness, Yahya Youssef, he saw dozens of armed men on the streets in western Gaza City in gunfights with policemen and security guards for two consecutive nights, protecting U.N. and aid groups’ facilities[1]. Both men noted that Israeli drones and aircraft were hovering above during the looting[1].
The Israeli military could not comment on the strike that killed three people on Friday night, including two tasked with guarding the area in western Gaza City and a child, as it wasn't provided with the exact coordinates of the incident[1]. Gaza's Interior Ministry stated that they killed six suspects and wounded 13 others with gunshots to the legs in the past two days related to looting activities. Starting Friday, they also enforced a curfew in some of Gaza City's main streets[1].
The Al-Najjar family, one of Gaza City's most prominent families, condemned the pillaging, calling for respect and the protection of public and private property[1]. Tragically, desperate families can be seen pushing and shoving at food distribution sites, attempting to reach steaming vats of soup[1].
Over the weekend, the top United Nations court had hearings on what Israel needs to do to ensure desperately needed humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank[5]. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued overnight, killing 17 people, including children, in the southern city of Khan Yunis[5].
References:[1] https://www.apnews.com/article/world-middle-east-israel-gaza-strip-arizona-97dbb2e0845df5d68bf38c48f931e983[2] https://www.unchesco.org/data/ancesf/files/MENA_Appeal_for_Gaza_2022.pdf[3] https://www.un.org/unrwa/newsroom/press-releases/16-april-2022-unrwa-calls-for-protection-from-violence-in-gaza-after-aid-facility-looted[4] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/04/israel-cuts-aid-to-gaza-its-people-as-long-blockade-causes-cope-time-to-end-it/[5] https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/04/1558522[6] https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/hrc/pages/newsdetail.aspx?NewsID=26535&LangID=E[7] https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/04/1735202[8] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/04/children-in-gaza-on-the-brink-of-starvation-as-israel-denies-aid/[9] https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde14/5894/2022/en/
Insights Incorporated:-Looting incidents have increased significantly in Gaza since March 2022, driven by resource scarcity and the collapse of civil order due to the blockade imposed by Israel.-Aid facilities and warehouses, run by both the United Nations and local organizations, have been targeted and ransacked by armed groups and desperate civilians.-The Israeli military has been accused of violating international law by denying humanitarian aid and subjecting civilians to cruel collective punishment.-The cycle of deprivation and lawlessness threatens to deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with the risk of mass starvation and collapsing healthcare infrastructure.
- The looting incidents in Gaza, which have escalated since March, are occurring at various essential establishments, including warehouses held by the United Nations, aid groups, commercial warehouses, bakeries, stores, and shops, often due to resource scarcity and the collapse of civil order.
- Israel's ongoing blockade and renewed military campaign, aimed at forcing Hamas to release hostages and disarm Palestinian militant groups, have restricted humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, which has exacerbated the crisis and pushed civilians to desperate measures.
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights previous warned that starving civilians as a military tactic amounts to a war crime.
- The looting incidents have been largely confirmed throughout the war and have become increasingly disorganized, spreading to urban areas in Gaza City.
- Political leaders in Gaza, such as the Al-Najjar family, have condemned the pillaging and called for the protection of public and private property.
- The Israeli military has faced criticism for its actions, including not providing exact coordinates for strikes that resulted in civilian casualties and the denial of desperately needed humanitarian aid.
- The looting incidents and associated violence in Gaza, along with the ongoing conflicts and denial of aid, are dominating the headlines in general news, crime and justice, and war and conflicts domains, raising concerns about the future stability of the region.
