Israeli army allows gunmen to loot aid trucks entering Gaza: Haaretz
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The report reveals how the Israeli occupation military continues to exacerbate the dire situation in Gaza by allowing gunmen to loot aid trucks and stopping civil police from taking action against them.
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A truck driver walks between trucks carrying humanitarian aid just before they cross into the Gaza Strip at 'Erez' crossing in southern occupied Palestine, on October 21, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed on Monday that the Israeli occupation military is allowing gunmen to loot aid trucks that are entering the Gaza Strip and take protection money from aid groups.
The newspaper noted that gunmen are obstructing the road used by a significant portion of trucks entering the Gaza Strip via the Karm Abu Salem crossing, an area fully controlled by the Israeli military, which has reportedly turned a blind eye and refrained from taking any action.
According to the newspaper, "Since some of the aid groups refuse to pay protection money, the aid often ends up sitting in warehouses that are under Israeli army control."
Sources working in Gaza were quoted as saying that “the armed attacks take place just a few hundred meters away from Israeli troops."
The Israeli occupation forces have referained from helping attack truck drivers, some aid groups said, adding that the occupation military "bars them from taking alternate roads that are considered safer."
The sources suggested that the looting of aid trucks reflects the chaos in the Gaza Strip, which comes as a result of the lack of effective civil authority, pointing out that the remaining local police forces were attacked by the Israeli occupation forces every time they tried to take action against the looters.
International organizations argue that resolving the issue in a way that allows aid to reach the population requires the deployment of a police force in the Gaza Strip—either Palestinian or international. However, both the Israeli political and military leadership have rejected this solution.
Read next: 'Generals' Plan' for northern Gaza doomed to failure: Hamdan
This comes as the US has given the Israeli occupation a 30-day ultimatum to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.
In a letter dated October 13, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for significant improvements to alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, specifically urging "Israel" to facilitate a minimum of 350 daily truckloads of essential supplies.
Yet, by the end of October, the average daily truckload count entering Gaza stood at only 71, well below the requested target. Blinken noted that while there has been some progress, it remains inadequate. "It's vital that what they bring can get distributed effectively inside of Gaza," he emphasized, underscoring the need for both sufficient supply and effective distribution.
This letter represents one of the Biden administration's strongest stances to date, following a year of appeals for greater protections for Palestinians.
North Gaza on brink of 'imminent famine'
While the Israeli occupation continues to obstruct aid trucks from entering the Strip, a group of international food security specialists cautioned on Friday that famine is likely to occur soon in parts of the northern Gaza Strip as the Israeli occupation continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip and its people, including women and children.
In a rare alert, the independent Famine Review Committee (FRC) said, "Immediate action, within days not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the conflict, or have influence on its conduct, to avert and alleviate this catastrophic situation."
The alert comes shortly before the US deadline for "Israel" to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Almost a year ago, the UN described the region as "uninhabitable" due to Israeli airstrikes, warning that failure to make progress could lead to potential cuts in US military aid.
