Gaza’s last lifelines: Anger as 'Israel' seizes hundreds of donkeys
3 Min Read
Palestinians are denouncing the Israeli military’s removal of hundreds of donkeys from Gaza as looting; here’s why the occupation is taking them.
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Palestinians riding a donkey cart pass by a stand selling goods amidst widespread destruction caused by the Israeli military's ground and air aggression in Gaza City's Jabaliya refugee camp, on February 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Anger is mounting across Palestine after Israeli media confirmed that Israeli forces have transported hundreds of donkeys from Gaza into Israeli-occupied territory, sparking accusations of looting amid an intensifying blockade that has already devastated civilian life in the besieged Strip.
According to Israeli broadcaster Kan 11, the animals were sent to a facility managed by the Israeli nonprofit "Let's Start Over," which claims to offer care and rehabilitation for donkeys. But Palestinians argue the transfer is a blatant seizure of critical resources.
With fuel nearly nonexistent and roads destroyed, donkeys have become Gaza's last viable means of transportation, used to move goods, evacuate families, and bring the wounded to safety.
Donkey theft
While the Israeli group insists the donkeys are being "rescued" from mistreatment, it has openly declared that the animals will not be returned. "We will not allow the donkeys to return to Gaza, and we will work to remove the remaining ones there so they are not used in reconstruction efforts," said the group's director.
Some animals have already been flown to Europe, 58 to Belgium in mid-May, under the pretext of seeking larger, freer environments in France and Belgium.
Israeli authorities have attempted to justify the move by claiming the donkeys showed signs of physical and psychological trauma from being overburdened by displaced Palestinians. "The operation successfully achieved its objective," said a spokesperson, referring to the forced transfer.
Reports also describe the animals being portrayed as suffering from "psychological trauma" and in need of specialized care.
Read more: UN decries Gaza children 'massive trauma' as Israeli strikes resume
However, no documentation has been presented to show legal ownership or consent. There has been no communication with the donkeys' original owners in Gaza, further fueling suspicions that the operation constitutes theft under the guise of "animal welfare."
Lifelines taken
Veterinarians in Gaza, like Dr. Saif Alden, have pushed back strongly on such narratives. Despite an Israeli airstrike that destroyed their mobile animal clinic in April, Alden's team, part of the UK-based Safe Havens for Donkeys, has treated over 7,000 donkeys since the war began.
For him and his colleagues, these animals are not just beasts of burden but lifelines for a besieged people. "They give without asking for anything in return," Alden told The Guardian, describing how donkeys have carried injured civilians and pregnant women to safety.
Palestinians widely see the donkey transfers as part of a broader pattern of dispossession, an extension of the ongoing war that has already killed tens of thousands and left Gaza's population in a state of total humanitarian collapse. Now, even their last remaining tools of resilience are being taken away.
