U.N. food trucks were looted in Gaza overnight, residents and merchants said Wednesday, hours after desperate crowds overran a new distribution site set up by a U.S.-backed group trying to get aid into the enclave.
The incidents highlight the difficulties in reaching hundreds of thousands of Palestinians facing starvation after weeks of Israeli blockade and airstrikes. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed group, said it had resumed operations and opened a second distribution site, denying reports that its facility was overrun.
Witnesses said some 20 trucks belonging to the U.N. World Food Programme were attacked by looters overnight. “People woke up, placed barriers and intercepted trucks,” one resident said.
Israeli forces continued strikes on Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least 30 people, according to Palestinian health officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the killing of Hamas Gaza chief Mohammad Sinwar marked a shift towards the “complete defeat of Hamas,” and said Israel was “taking control of food distribution” in the territory.
Hamas denies blocking aid access but has told residents to avoid the new distribution sites, while U.N. officials say there is no evidence Hamas is stealing supplies.
Aid recipients must undergo screenings under the new system, though witnesses said no effective checks were in place Tuesday. Ajith Sunghay, head of the U.N. human rights office in the occupied territories, said 47 people were shot and wounded during the chaos.
Footage showed crowds tearing down fences as private security contractors retreated. “I couldn’t hold back my tears when I saw people racing for food,” said Rabah Rezik, 65, of Gaza City.
The U.S. ambassador to Israel called the aid distribution “effective so far,” while Israel faces growing international pressure over the humanitarian crisis. Italy on Wednesday joined France, Britain and Germany in warning of possible action if Israel’s campaign doesn’t stop.
Israel’s military campaign began after the October 2023 Hamas-led attacks that killed around 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages. Since then, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials.