Keystone-SDA
The Israeli army favors the looting of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. It particularly attacks the Palestinian police forces who are trying to fight it, 29 NGOs accused in a joint report on Friday.
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November 15, 2024 – 3.22pm
(Keystone-ATS) “Looting is a recurring problem, a result of Israel’s targeting of the remaining police forces in Gaza, the shortage of essential goods, the lack of roads and the closure of most crossing points, and the desperation of the population which results in these disastrous conditions”, point out these NGOs, including Médecins du monde, Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
The Israeli army also “fails” to “prevent the looting of aid trucks and armed gangs from extorting money from humanitarian organizations for their protection”, continue the NGOs. They cite in particular an article from the left-wing Israeli daily Haaretz, published Monday and headlined: “Israeli army allows Gaza gangs to loot aid trucks and extort protection fees from drivers.”
Police officers attacked by soldiers
In their report, the NGOs also claim that “in some cases”, while Palestinian police officers “attempted to take action against looters, they were attacked by Israeli troops”.
“Many incidents take place near or in full view of Israeli forces, without them intervening, even when truckers ask for help.”
Israel still prevents aid from entering
In the same report, the 29 NGOs denounce the reduction “to a historically low level” of humanitarian aid authorized by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
According to these, an average of 37 humanitarian trucks entered the Palestinian territory every day in October and 69 daily in the first week of November, compared to 500 before October 7, 2023, the date of the start of the war triggered by the movement’s attack. Palestinian Hamas in Israel.
Humanitarian staff killed
The 29 NGOs also recorded seven attacks against humanitarian personnel, the majority attributed to the Israeli army. Thus, between October 10 and November 13, “Israeli strikes killed at least 20 humanitarian workers (…) working mainly for Palestinian organizations,” deplore the 29 NGOs. “These employees were killed at home, in displacement camps or while distributing aid. »
American requirements ignored
On October 13, the United States once again asked the Israeli authorities to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, or risk seeing American military aid restricted, they point out.
“Not only did Israel not meet American criteria”, but its army “at the same time took measures which have considerably worsened the situation on the ground”, particularly in northern Gaza.
The situation is “even more disastrous than a month ago”, eight NGOs, including Save the Children, Care and Mercy Corps, recently pointed out in another press release.
On Thursday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, however, that it was “fully determined to facilitate the continued delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza” and to “increase it”, in particular “by opening new routes and crossing points, such as ( the one) in Kissoufim opened this week, to ensure that essential aid reaches the residents of Gaza.”
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