Israel/Palestine
In reply to the discussion: UN agency says 2 killed as Gaza aid convoy looted; Hamas claims that the UN WFP is 'fully responsible'. [View all]Sorry, I forgot the link. There's not much more there.
https://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-our-effort-save-lives-survivors-gaza-breaking-point
Though I've noted you seemed to only pay attention to what you wanted to. I gather my helpful bolding made no impression.
You are of course implying that the "armed Palestinian gangs" are Hamas. Hamas has done terrible things, but not everything can be blamed on them. Israel is simply keeping that narrative alive as it's very convenient and helps a lot to obfuscate and deflect from Israel's own responsibility.
And the responsibility for the starvation and deprivation - the absolute horrendous suffering - is squarely on Israel's shoulders. It devised a systematic, precise, multi-front operation to starve the Palestinians out of their homeland. The destruction of UNRWA was a large part of it.
But getting back to the "armed gangs". Who are they?
They are ARMED. They are GANGS. As in a collection of criminals. Once lawlessness takes hold, and food or anything else becomes scarce, they tend to form and thrive. Infuriatingly, there is evidence that these gangs are allowed to loot under the passive gaze of the IDF - within spitting distance of IDF tanks, as one UN person put it - or even with the IDF's protection.
Gaza is now in civil disorder and lawlessness. The police force is severely degraded. Policemen are being hunted down by the IDF - "Hamas", you know. The few remaining ones are now afraid to serve as security - as they had done before - since they are consistently being killed by the IDF when they do so.
Here is some more evidence of what is really happening in Gaza. It's from an NPR program.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants today for Israel's prime minister and former defense minister. The court says that they have used starvation as a weapon of war against people in Gaza. Israel has called the allegations absurd and false, but aid groups say not enough food is being allowed into Gaza, and the little that does get in is often stolen. NPR's Aya Batrawy and Anas Baba examine a new danger compounding Gaza's misery - armed gangs.
snip
BATRAWY : The looters, some of them known criminals before the war, have become organized gangs, armed with assault rifles and knives. Nahed Shohaybr, head of Gaza's private transportation association, lost trucks in the most recent looting. Some of his drivers were hospitalized.
NAHED SHOHAYBR: (Non-English language spoken).
BATRAWY: He tells NPR over the phone, "Israel is protecting the gangs." He says, "Israel is trying to force Hamas to surrender by starving Gaza." Shohaybr has had four drivers killed by these gangs in recent months. The Washington Post and Financial Times reported this week on a leaked U.N. memo saying gangs may be benefiting from a passive, if not active, benevolence or protection from Israeli forces. Spokesman at the U.N. Stephane Dujarric had this to say.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
STEPHANE DUJARRIC: The reports - the idea that the Israeli forces may be allowing looters or not doing enough to prevent it is frankly fairly alarming, given the responsibilities of Israel as the occupying power to ensure that humanitarian aid is distributed safely.
BATRAWY: Israel's military did not answer NPR's questions on why it hasn't taken action against looting in areas of its control.
SHOHAYBR: (Non-English language spoken).
BATRAWY: Shohaybr says Gaza's civil police is able to provide protection to his drivers and the roads they take, but he notes Israel is killing police across Gaza. Israel says the police are part of Hamas, the group that attacked Israel last year and that the military is trying to eliminate. Israeli officials say any restrictions on aid are to prevent Hamas from benefiting, and that Hamas - whose leaders are also wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes - is behind the looting. But just days after the U.N. convoy was attacked, Hamas security forces killed around 20 of the suspected looters. Here's Dujarric of the U.N. again.
snip
Lots more at the link.
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/21/nx-s1-5196553/a-closer-look-at-how-armed-gangs-steal-tons-of-aid-in-gaza
This willful starvation of millions of people is just plain wrong and immoral. I really want to believe that if people knew what was really going on - regardless of where they stand on the conflict - they would want some intervention to stop this from continuing.
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