Criminal Gangs Impede Aid Distribution in Southern Gaza

In southern Gaza, severe food scarcity is exacerbated by criminal gangs whose increasingly violent thefts are now identified by aid workers and local residents as the primary impediment to supply distribution. These sources claim that armed individuals operate openly in a restricted border area, visible to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The BBC has discovered that Hamas, perceiving a chance to reassert its diminishing authority, has reactivated a specialized security unit to address theft and banditry. This development follows an incident on November 16, when gangsters looted nearly 100 UN lorries, causing injuries to numerous Palestinian drivers, marking one of the conflict’s most significant single losses of aid. Subsequently, several suspected looters were reportedly killed in an ambush. Last week, a prominent criminal family in Gaza obstructed the primary Salah al-Din Road, which originates from Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing point, for a period of two days. According to witnesses, iron barriers were put up, and lorries attempting to reach the aid distribution location faced gunfire. Sam Rose, deputy director of Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, in Gaza, stated, “Law and order have broken down in the area around the Kerem Shalom crossing, which remains the main entry point of goods, and gangs are filling the power vacuum.” He added, “It’s inevitable after 13 months of intense conflict – things fall apart.” With the onset of the rainy winter season, humanitarian officials emphasize that resolving this deteriorating situation is crucial to address the vast and growing needs of the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, who are now displaced in the central and southern regions. Georgios Petropoulos, who heads the UN’s humanitarian office, Ocha, in Gaza, described the activity as “tactical, systematic, criminal looting.” He further indicated that this situation is resulting in “ultra-violence” across multiple fronts: “from the looters towards the truckers, from the IDF towards the police, and from the police towards the looters.” Lawlessness in Gaza has intensified since Israel initiated targeting police officers earlier this year, citing their involvement in Hamas governance. The former head of Hamas police investigations informed the BBC that “Hamas’s security control dropped to under 20%,” and added, “We are working on a plan to restore control to 60% within a month.” Certain displaced residents in southern Gaza express approval for Hamas’s renewed efforts against criminal organizations. Mohammed Abu Jared, a resident, declared, “Killing the thieves who stole aid is a step in the right direction.” Conversely, some perceive these actions as a calculated maneuver to seize control of profitable black markets. Mohammed Diab, an activist from Deir al-Balah, commented, “Hamas is killing its competitors in stealing aid,” adding, “A big mafia has finished off a small mafia.” Numerous observers interpret Hamas’s initiative to counter criminality as a direct outcome of Israel’s inability to establish a post-war strategy for Gaza. Presently, no viable alternatives exist to supersede the Islamist movement and armed group, which Israeli leaders vowed to dismantle following the lethal attacks on October 7 last year. This period of disorder coincides with a significant reduction in aid entering the Palestinian territory, reaching some of its lowest volumes since the conflict commenced. Although the risk of famine is most pronounced in the besieged northern areas, where Israel is conducting a new, intensive military offensive, the south is also experiencing substantial deficits in food, medicines, and other commodities. Sam Rose of Unrwa reported, “Prices of basic commodities are sky-rocketing – a bag of flour costs more than $200 (£160), a single egg $15 – or else goods are simply not available.” For the past week, Umm Ahmed and her children have waited daily in a lengthy line outside a bakery in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, where a limited number of loaves are eventually distributed. She stated, “My children are very hungry every day. We can’t afford the basics. It’s constant suffering. No food, no water, no cleaning products, nothing.” She continued, “We don’t want much, just to live a decent life. We need food. We need goods to come in and be distributed fairly. That’s all we’re asking for.” The United States has been urging Israel to permit an increased number of aid lorries to enter Gaza. Nevertheless, Israeli officials contend that the primary reason their target of 350 lorries per day has not been met is the insufficient capacity of the UN and other international aid agencies to transport enough vehicles to the crossing points. Aid workers dispute this assertion, urgently requesting the removal of numerous entry restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities. They also advocate for the opening and securing of additional crossing points to facilitate the collection and distribution of supplies. Furthermore, they assert that the deterioration of public order must be addressed, and that Israel, in its capacity as an occupying power, bears the responsibility to ensure protection and security. The BBC was informed that thefts frequently occur in full view of Israeli soldiers or surveillance drones, yet the army reportedly does not intervene. Stolen items are reportedly being kept outdoors or in warehouses within territories under Israeli military control. The IDF did not provide a response to BBC inquiries regarding its methods for combating organized looting and smuggling. Previously, the IDF has maintained that it implements countermeasures and endeavors to facilitate the entry of aid. In the initial stages of the conflict, as food supplies diminished, desperate Gazans were occasionally observed taking items from arriving aid lorries. Subsequently, cigarette smuggling evolved into a substantial enterprise, with gangs intercepting convoys at gunpoint upon their arrival from Egypt’s Rafah crossing, and, following its closure in May, from Kerem Shalom. Cigarette packets command exorbitant prices in Gaza; a pack of 20 that cost approximately 20 shekels ($5.40) before the war can now see a single cigarette priced at 180 shekels ($48.60). The discovery of cigarettes concealed within the frames of wooden aid pallets and inside sealed food cans suggests the involvement of a regional smuggling operation. Over the last six weeks, Israeli authorities have prohibited commercial imports, asserting that such imports benefit Hamas. This measure has contributed to a reduction in food supplies, which in turn is fueling an increase in armed looting. International donations, ranging from flour to winter shelters, intended as free provisions for those in need, are exclusively available for purchase at exorbitant rates on Gaza’s black market. Concurrently, donated supplies amounting to several months’ worth are being detained in Egypt because of delays in aid delivery. Recent reports from local media indicate that Israel is currently considering the possibility of delivering aid to Gaza through a private, armed American security contractor. Although no official announcement has been made, aid workers express concern. Georgios Petropoulos of Ocha questioned which donor nations would agree to have supplies distributed in this manner. He asked, “How safe is it really going to be?” adding, “I think it will be a vector for more bloodshed and violence.”