Inside Gaza Aid Depot: Food Sits Idle as Israel and UN Clash Over Responsibility
Under the scorching sun near the Israel-Gaza border, hundreds of pallets of food, including rice and bananas, lie just miles away from starving Palestinian families. Despite Israel’s military observing a daytime ceasefire on a crucial road near the Kerem Shalom crossing, humanitarian agencies struggle to deliver essential aid into southern Gaza. They attribute their difficulties to escalating lawlessness, which makes it perilous to transport goods.
Georgios Petropoulos, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, highlights the severity of the situation. “The looting has become quite profound,” he states, noting that on a recent Tuesday, three-quarters of the goods entering from the crossing were stolen. UN officials report systematic attacks on vehicles by armed gangs, particularly those smuggling high-value items like cigarettes. Fuel lorries have also been targeted.
With Gaza’s Hamas government dismantled by Israel’s military offensive, there’s no clear plan for restoring civil order. Few police officers remain, and it’s unclear whether the criminal gangs are affiliated with Hamas or local clans. Petropoulos emphasizes the need for decisive action on civil order and aid delivery.
On a media tour of Kerem Shalom, Cogat, the Israeli military body overseeing the crossings, insisted there’s no limit on the aid that can enter Gaza. Journalists saw over 1,000 lorryloads of aid, cleared by security, awaiting collection. Cogat spokesperson Shimon Freedman criticized international organizations for not improving their distribution capacity, suggesting they need more lorries, manpower, and extended working hours.
Israel has ramped up its critique of aid agencies during the war, especially as the International Court of Justice has twice ordered it to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Gaza. These orders stem from South Africa’s allegations that Israel is violating the 1948 Genocide Convention, which Israel vehemently denies.
UN and relief groups refute claims of inefficiency, citing the challenges of operating in a war zone. Israeli bombings have damaged infrastructure, reducing their capacity. Sean Carroll, president of American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera), points out their significant efforts: “We’ve recruited scores of new staff and hundreds of volunteers to distribute aid, delivering 28 million meals and six million medical treatments.” However, he notes that increased manpower is ineffective when the war renders roads impassable and fuel scarce.
Anera welcomed Cogat’s commitment to allow more lorries into Gaza but criticized the arbitrary and constantly changing rules and procedures for moving goods. Aid groups say the relief system in Gaza collapsed in May when Israel’s ground invasion of Rafah displaced about a million Palestinians, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Concurrently, aid organizations lost access to key storage and distribution centers.
Since Israeli forces took control of the Rafah border crossing, Egypt has barred its use, citing safety concerns, rerouting aid and fuel to Kerem Shalom. UN data shows a significant drop in aid lorries entering Gaza, from a daily average of 97 in May to just 89 in early June.
In Khan Younis, residents report receiving no international assistance. “When we were in Rafah, we would occasionally see aid. Since we arrived here 20 days ago, we haven’t seen anything,” says Mahmoud al-Biss, struggling to feed his children. Locals describe a vicious cycle where desperation drives people to loot aid lorries, with donated items like sunflower oil and sugar appearing in market stalls.
To compensate, Israeli authorities have allowed more private buyers in Gaza to import supplies from Israel and the West Bank, using armed escorts to prevent attacks. However, these items are often unaffordable for most Gazans. Israel has also opened three other crossings into northern Gaza, where famine risk is highest, and resumed a maritime corridor from Cyprus, despite issues with a costly US-built floating pier.
Political resistance in Israel to addressing Gaza’s food shortages has caused rifts between the government and the military. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israeli military spokesperson, explained that “tactical pauses” near Kerem Shalom aim to follow the cabinet’s order to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has argued that increasing supplies benefits Hamas and undermines Israel’s war efforts. Extremist Israeli groups have also attacked aid convoys heading to Gaza.
Sean Carroll from Anera attributes some of the difficulties to political factors on the Israeli side, suggesting that purely logistical issues could be resolved. “We need a system based on good faith and trust towards the United Nations,” says Petropoulos.
In Khan Younis, men struggling to provide for their families express their frustration. “There is no situation more difficult than this,” says Mahmoud al-Biss. “I am displaced, alone with my two kids, trying to survive. There is nobody standing with me.”
