Thousands of people broke into warehouses and stole aid intended for Gazans on Sunday, undermining an international effort to help civilians in the Palestinian territory, according to a report.
Roughly three-dozen trucks of critical resources including food, water, and medicine entered the Gaza Strip, according to The Associated Press (AP). The trucks entered through the Rafa Crossing in Egypt, incentivizing Palestinians to move south as Israel continues its military offensive on the northern portion of the Gaza Strip. (RELATED: ‘Payback’: Israel Expands Ground Operations Against Hamas, Official Says)
Thomas White, Gaza director for the United Nations Reliefs and Works Agency (UNWRA), claimed that the break-ins were a troubling sign that social order in Gaza has deteriorated.
Desperate Palestinians in Gaza burst into aid warehouses, grabbing food and hygiene supplies. The UN says it is a “worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down.” pic.twitter.com/5s1n7Axs0o
— DW News (@dwnews) October 30, 2023
“People are scared, frustrated and desperate,” he told AP News.
Four warehouses were broken into on Saturday, UNWRA spokesperson Juliette Touma claims. One of the warehouses contained 80 tons of food, the U.N. World Food Program said.
Israeli authorities say that they will permit more humanitarian aid to enter into Gaza soon, the outlet reported. The U.N. World Food Program says that 40 trucks must enter Gaza everyday to meet the needs of the displaced Palestinians.
President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an attempt to emphasize, “the need to immediately and significantly increase the flow of humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of civilians in Gaza.”
Israel has faced substantial pressure to allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, as they continue their military operation in the Palestinian territory following the October 7th terrorist attacks, which resulted in 1,200 Israelis murdered and over 200 taken hostage. Israel initiated a ground invasion of Gaza on Friday and significantly increased their airstrikes into the territory. The Biden Administration has tried to encourage Israel away from a full ground invasion of Gaza, fearing that it would upend hostage release negotiations, according to The Washington Post.
The country has also faced growing international pressure to implement a ceasefire, including from the United Nations and some members of the U.S. Congress.