In the central part of the Gaza Strip, crowds of hungry people stormed a food warehouse of the UN World Food Program (WFP). At least two people died and several others were injured in the incident. This is reported by the BBC, writes UNN.
Details
Video footage from AFP news agency showed crowds of people breaking into the Al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir el-Balah and taking bags of flour and boxes of food, to the sound of gunfire. However, it was not immediately clear where they were coming from.
The WFP said in a statement that humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip have "spiraled out of control" after nearly three months of an Israeli blockade that was eased last week.
The WFP said food supplies were pre-positioned in the warehouse for distribution.
Gaza needs an immediate increase in food aid. This is the only way to convince people that they will not starve
The WFP also said it "has consistently warned of alarming and worsening conditions on the ground, as well as the risks associated with restricting humanitarian access to people who are starving and desperately need it."
Israeli authorities reported that 121 trucks with humanitarian aid were sent to Gaza on Wednesday, but the UN called these efforts a "lifeboat after the ship sank."
In parallel, a controversial private initiative is operating in the sector - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is supported by the US and Israel. This structure operates outside of coordination with the UN and uses American security contractors. The UN has criticized this system, calling it unsuitable for effective aid delivery.
According to the UN Human Rights Office, another 47 people were injured during the storming of one of the GHF centers in Rafah.
Jonathan Witoal, head of the UN humanitarian office in the occupied Palestinian territories, also said there was no evidence that Hamas was diverting aid coordinated through reliable humanitarian channels.
He said that the real looting of humanitarian aid since the beginning of the war was carried out by criminal groups, which the Israeli army "allowed to operate near the Karem-Shalom checkpoint in the Gaza Strip."
Let us remind you
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid supplies to the Gaza Strip.
Later, he stated that Israel will control the entire Gaza Strip, despite pressure.