Thousands Break Into UN Aid Depots In Gaza Looking For Food
Thousands of people have broken into United Nations (UN) aid depots to take supplies in Gaza, prompting concerns about the breakdown of civil order. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that warehouses containing essentials like flour and soap were ransacked. This development comes as Israel escalates its military action against Hamas in Gaza.
More than half of Gaza’s population of 2.4 million people have been displaced, and numerous buildings have been destroyed, according to the UN. Since October 7, when Hamas militants launched unprecedented attacks on Israel, the conflict has intensified, resulting in over 8,000 reported deaths in Gaza.
UNRWA stated that the raids on aid warehouses were expected due to the desperate conditions faced by the people. A senior spokeswoman for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Abeer Etefa, told the BBC:
The bottom line is that people are desperate, they are hungry.
Displaced Gazans who took items from the UN warehouses expressed their need for assistance, as they lacked essential supplies like food, water, and sanitation.
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Israel has limited the entry of aid into Gaza, citing concerns that supplies could be used by Hamas to continue the conflict. However, officials announced that more aid would be allowed into the region in the coming days. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern about the dire situation in Gaza and called on all parties involved to step back from the brink. He said:
More than two million people, with nowhere safe to go, are being denied the essentials for life – food, water, shelter and medical care – while being subjected to relentless bombardment. I urge all those with responsibility to step back from the brink.
Over the weekend, Israeli tanks and infantry entered Gaza as part of a “second stage” in the ongoing conflict, which began when Hamas launched an aggressive attack on Israel three weeks ago. This ground offensive was accompanied by continued airstrikes from air, land, and sea. Gaza residents described the bombardment as the most intense of the war, resulting in a loss of communication for most of the population. However, communication was partially restored on Sunday. The Israeli military reported that they had targeted over 450 militant sites in the past 24 hours, including Hamas command centres, observation posts, and missile launching positions. They also mentioned that additional ground forces were deployed into Gaza overnight.
