Hunger is worsening in Gaza, along with increasingly violent incidents of looting aid trucks. Yesterday, Israel allowed the introduction of food into the northern Strip, where some 300,000 Gazans are still residing, having refused to evacuate. Some 30 trucks entered the northern area from the south.
Most of the aid has reached southern Gaza, but there are serious food shortages in Gaza City. With food running short, a mob of thousands swarmed the trucks and a violent pile-up occurred, including people being run over, trampled, and injured while being crushed.
In addition, some of the mob moved towards the IDF force securing the trucks, endangering their safety. The IDF responded with gunfire. Armed Hamas terrorists also fired towards the trucks and took part in the looting.
There appear to be dead from the gunfire, though the official Palestinian numbers of some 100 dead and 700 wounded sounds greatly exaggerated.
The IDF stated that “during the introduction of the humanitarian aid trucks in the morning hours to the northern Gaza Strip, a violent mob of Gazan residents developed around the trucks, who looted the arriving equipment. During this mobbing, dozens of Gazans were injured from the crush and trampling. The incident is being investigated.”