(United Nations) The looting of humanitarian aid in Gaza “is becoming systematic and must stop immediately,” Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN secretary general, said on Tuesday, worrying about reports that the authorities Israelis could allow these attacks to take place.
Posted at 2:12 p.m.
On Saturday, a UN convoy of 109 food aid trucks was attacked by unidentified looters after entering Palestinian territory through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, and only 11 trucks were able to reach their destination, “the worst » Looting in Gaza in terms of volume, according to the UN.
“We have been warning about this problem of armed looting for some time and we have noticed that they are becoming more organized”, more “effective”, commented Stéphane Dujarric on Tuesday.
PHOTO BEBETO MATTHEWS, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General
“Armed looting is becoming systematic and must stop immediately. This hinders vital humanitarian operations and puts our staff at even greater risk,” he added.
“But law enforcement operations must be legal, necessary and proportionate,” he also insisted, referring to an operation led by the Hamas government against suspected looters on Monday.
“We are very concerned about this information,” he added.
The Hamas government’s Interior Ministry for the Gaza Strip announced Monday that at least 20 people had been killed in an operation against aid looters, also assuring that it would “not be the last » operation of this kind.
Questioned on the other hand about an article from Washington Post citing an internal UN memo estimating that certain gangs could benefit from the “passive or even active benevolence” or “protection” of Israeli forces, the UN spokesperson indicated that he was not aware of this document .
But “the idea that Israeli forces are letting the looters get away with it or not doing enough to prevent them is frankly alarming, given Israel’s responsibilities as the occupying power to ensure the delivery of aid.” humanitarian aid in a safe manner,” he added, calling on “all parties involved” to do everything so that aid can be delivered safely.
