Surge in Looting in Gaza Amid Deteriorating Humanitarian Crisis

Local residents and aid workers in northern Gaza have reported a significant increase in looting, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian situation that has developed over two months into Israel’s aid blockade. Eyewitness accounts, communications among security personnel, and remarks from various aid organizations reveal that both armed and unarmed individuals have engaged in forcible entry into warehouses, shops, and bakeries since mid-week. The backdrop of this chaos is a blockade imposed after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended a ceasefire with Hamas in March. As a result, the nearly 2 million residents in Gaza face what is now being deemed the most severe humanitarian crisis of the conflict, which has persisted for nearly 19 months. Israeli officials argue that these measures are designed to compel Hamas to release 59 remaining hostages and dismantle its militant network; however, the humanitarian stakes appear to have reached a breaking point. The United Nations has made it clear that the tactic of starving civilians constitutes a war crime according to international law. Numerous aid agencies now warn that the population is teetering on the edge of famine, with fears mounting that rising desperation could lead to a total collapse of social order in addition to the reported looting incidents. While sporadic looting has occurred previously, aid workers highlighted that the recent episodes differ markedly in character—being more widespread and chaotic, particularly in urban areas. The recent looting spree reportedly commenced Wednesday night in Gaza City, catalyzed by rumors of humanitarian trucks delivering supplies. One aid worker noted that armed individuals targeted a bakery based on these rumors; they later ransacked a soup kitchen managed by an international relief agency after discovering the bakery was empty. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has also been affected, with its personnel recently withdrawing after thousands reportedly broke into its Gaza City field office and stole medical supplies. Louise Wateridge, an emergency official at UNRWA, attributed these incidents to 'unbearable and prolonged deprivation.' As looting continued into Friday night, witness accounts suggest that organized groups were involved, overwhelming local police and security guards meant to protect the facilities. The civilian population's plight only worsened with ongoing Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 17 Palestinians, including an entire family in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, alongside additional strikes that further claimed lives. The reported casualties include women and small children, indicative of the high civilian toll amid ongoing conflict. The situation in Gaza is rapidly worsening, and the surge in looting reflects the intensifying desperation of civilians facing dire shortages of food and medical supplies amidst ongoing military actions and systematic blockades.