According to an internal UN document that the Washington Post was able to get, the invading Israeli military may be providing “passive, if not active” support to some criminal organizations operating in Gaza.
According to an official UN document that The Washington Post was able to secure, Israeli military assistance and occasionally even protection are given to armed gangs in Gaza that loot relief trucks.
In the isolated area where Israeli genocide has been occurring for the past 412 days, relief operations are already in jeopardy, and the shocking study reveals how organized criminals are stealing essential assistance shipments.
According to the letter, the Israeli military provides “passive, if not active” support to certain of the criminal organizations. One gang boss built a “military-like compound” in a region under strict Israeli assault, according to the document the Washington Post referenced.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, stated on Tuesday that although he was not aware of the UN document, the accusation was “fairly alarming” if it were accurate.
“The idea that the Israeli forces may be allowing looters or not doing enough to prevent it is frankly, fairly alarming, given the responsibilities of Israel as the occupying power to ensure that humanitarian aid is distributed safely,” he stated.
Aid organizations have repeatedly called for safer routes and improved convoy protection, but Israel has rejected their demands, leaving convoys open to attack.
According to The Post, the Israeli army has frequently neglected to step in during instances of looting despite being in close proximity.
The area around the Karem Abu Salem gate, which serves as the main entry point for aid into southern Gaza, is among the most well-known locations for this illegal business. The gangs are described as being highly armed and becoming more violent by aid workers, transport businesses, and local witnesses.
Many of the attackers are thought to be members of influential local criminal organizations that have branched out into stealing essential goods after previously participating in illegal activities like cigarette smuggling.
For both the Palestinian government and relief organizations, the theft of vital aid while Israeli soldiers look on has become a serious problem.
Theft of half of the aid going into Gaza
As the violence intensifies, it is evident that aid theft has evolved from a desperate civilian situation to a well-planned business.
“Looting has become the biggest challenge to aid distribution,” the Post quotes an aid worker as saying.
The amount of looting has gotten so bad that it is now impeding the delivery of medicine and food that can save lives. According to UN reports, almost half of the aid that enters Gaza is stolen.
Israel has responded to the mounting calls for intervention by denying any involvement in the looting and claiming that its military is implementing “targeted countermeasures” against the perpetrators.
Aid workers, meanwhile, claim that the Israeli army has mostly watched the attacks unfold without doing action, frequently failing to step in when looting is already underway.
A convoy of 109 trucks bringing desperately needed food aid was the target of one recent incident; 98 of the trucks were looted. As the gangs looted the goods, the trucks were shot at, and one driver was taken captive for several hours.
Conflicts with Gaza’s security forces on Monday resulted in the deaths of at least 20 gang members who were suspected of stealing humanitarian goods, according to a statement from the Hamas resistance group. It stated that “an iron fist” will be applied to anyone found engaging in such looting.
There is more to the looting than thieves exploiting a chaotic environment. It has grown to be a significant barrier in the struggle against the impending famine in Gaza.
The UN has issued a warning that 2.4 million people, many of whom were displaced by the conflict, are at risk of famine due to the catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
“Saturate the enclave with assistance.”
Aid workers and local politicians are demanding a comprehensive strategy to address the looting and the larger humanitarian catastrophe, as the situation remains grim.
The CEO of Save the Children, Janti Soeripto, stated that “the only way to truly address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis would be to flood the enclave with aid and commercial supplies — undercutting the price gouging that fuels the looting,”
“A lot of the disorder goes away when you actually get humanitarian access,” she stated.
The Israeli military was permitting armed gangs to extort security money from aid organizations and truck drivers, as well as to plunder aid convoys, according to a report published last week by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
A senior official from one organization operating in Gaza told Haaretz, “I saw one Israeli tank, and an armed gang member with a Kalashnikov [rifle] just 100 meters [about 325 feet] from it.”
“The armed men beat the drivers and take all the food if they aren’t paid [protection money].”
