Kerem Shalom aid convoy looting

Kerem Shalom aid convoy looting
Part of the Israel–Hamas war and the Gaza humanitarian crisis
	Kerem Shalom Location within the Gaza Strip
Date	16 November 2024
Location	Kerem Shalom border crossing, Gaza Strip
Perpetrator	Armed gangsters
Outcome	98 out of 109 UN aid convoys looted

Last updated November 28, 2024

On 16 November 2024, armed gangs raided a convoy of 109 United Nations aid trucks and looted 98 of them, near Israeli military installations at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in the Gaza Strip. The perpetrators, who according to a UN memo may have had "protection" from the Israel Defense Forces, threw grenades and held truck drivers at gunpoint, forcing them to unload their aid. The incident further exacerbated the Gaza humanitarian crisis caused by the Israel–Hamas war.^[1]^[2]^[3] The incident has been described by the UNRWA as "one of the worst" incidents of its kind.^[4]

Background

The Israel–Hamas war and Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip has resulted in a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. In early November 2024, a UN-backed panel warned that all of Gaza faced a risk of imminent famine between November 2024 and April 2025, with the north at most risk.^[5] The Israeli blockade severely restricted the entry of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip. Israeli targeting of civilian police officers who were responsible for guarding humanitarian convoys caused civil order to start collapsing by February 2024. This led to a rise in civilians and criminals raiding trucks and stealing supplies from the UN, slowing aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip. The Israeli seizure and closure of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in May 2024, following the Rafah offensive, significantly reduced the number of aid trucks entering Gaza and shifted most of the humanitarian traffic to the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom border crossing.^[3] Defense officials confirmed that the IDF is aware of aid convoy lootings, and at one point the Israeli government considered handing responsibility over distributing aid to local clans that played a role in looting convoys, even if some of them were involved in terrorism and affiliated with the Islamic State.^[6]

The United Nations and international humanitarian aid organizations reported losing $25.5 million worth of humanitarian goods to looting over the summer.^[3]

Incident

The raid took place during the night of 16 November 2024 near the heavily fortified Israeli-controlled Karem Shalom border crossing in the Gaza Strip. The aid convoy was scheduled to enter Gaza on 17 November, although the IDF instructed it to "depart at short notice via an unfamiliar route" on 16 November, giving the drivers 30 minutes to leave.^[5]^[1]

The convoy was ambushed by armed gunmen during the night. The attackers shot the tires of trucks to halt and loot them.^[5] They also threw grenades and held truck drivers at gunpoint, some of whom were reportedly shot, forcing them to unload their aid. In previous incidents, gangs have also killed, beaten, and kidnapped the drivers and damaged their trucks. The UNRWA reported that looters shot at the trucks and detained a driver for hours, in addition to causing "injuries to transporters" and "extensive vehicle damage".^[3] The incident sparked confusion among local Palestinians, who expressed confusion over the fact that several armed men went undetected in a highly surveilled area.^[2]

According to UNRWA spokeswoman, Louise Wateridge, only 11 out of 109 aid trucks made it to their destination in Gaza. She also reported that Israeli authorities "continue to restrict a huge amount of the humanitarian response" to Gaza. The UNRWA has yet to hear of the number of casualties and the types of injuries the truck drivers endured.^[5]

Perpetrators

The UNRWA stated that it was unable to identify the perpetrators due to the "total breakdown of civil order". According to an internal memo from the United Nations, the gangs in the Gaza Strip "may be benefiting from a passive if not active benevolence" or "protection" from the Israel Defense Forces. The UN also reported that a gang leader had established a "military-like compound" in an area that was "restricted, controlled, and patrolled by the IDF". An eyewitness reported seeing a gangster armed with an AK-47 just 100-meters from an Israeli Merkava tank.^[2] The gangs have run cigarette-smuggling operations, and have been described as rivals of Hamas.^[3]

United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories, Muhannad Hadi, reported that Gaza is essentially lawless and that Israel is "the occupying power", and therefore the incident "is on them" for failing to ensure the area's protection and security.^[3]

Contrary to Israeli claims that Hamas is stealing aid, a United States official stated that Hamas is not responsible for the attacks. An international aid official reported that there is no evidence of "physical interference from Hamas" anywhere in the north or south of Gaza.^[3]

Aftermath

Following the incident, Gaza's interior ministry said that Hamas, in cooperation with tribal committees, expanded its operations targeting "gangs" accused of looting trucks bringing aid into Gaza. They said that 20 people were killed who had been involved in the aid convoy looting near the Kerem Shalom border crossing.^[7] Hamas stated that anyone caught engaging in a similar looting will be dealt with "an iron fist".^[2]

Reactions

UNRWA commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini confirmed the looting and stated that "we have been warning a long time ago about the total breakdown of civil order" in Gaza.^[1] The UNRWA blamed the "collapse of law and order" caused by the "approach of the Israeli authorities" for the incident.^[4]
United States State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller called the looting "abhorrent" and blamed it for the "overall breakdown" of security in Gaza, for which he said "the IDF certainly bears part of the blame for".^[4]
The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces condemned the looting by "criminal thieves who disrupt the security of our internal front and steal the livelihoods, bread, and medicine of our citizens".^[4]

Related Research Articles

The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. Inhabited by mostly Palestinian refugees and their descendants, Gaza is one of the most densely populated territories in the world. Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north. The territory has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.

The Gaza–Israel barrier is a border barrier located on the Israeli side of the Gaza–Israel border. Before the Israel–Hamas war, the Erez Crossing, in the north of the Gaza Strip, used to be the only crossing point for people and goods coming from Israel into the Gaza Strip. A second crossing point, the Kerem Shalom border crossing, is used exclusively for goods coming from Egypt as Israel did not allow goods to go directly from Egypt into Gaza through the Egypt–Gaza border, except for the Salah Al Din Gate, which opened in 2018.

The Karni Crossing was a cargo terminal on the Israel-Gaza Strip barrier located in the north-eastern end of the Gaza Strip that existed between 1994 and 2011 and used for the export and import of goods from/to the Gaza Strip. This was done as a 'back-to-back' transfer, meaning that Palestinian products meant for export were removed from a Palestinian truck and placed in an Israeli truck, and vice versa for incoming goods. The Karni Crossing was also used by the residents of Netzarim since the Karni road was the only route to that isolated Israeli settlement on which Jewish travel was allowed after the 1994 implementation of the Oslo Accords. The crossing has been affected by the Israeli Blockade of the Gaza Strip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerem Shalom</span> Kibbutz in southern Israel

Kerem Shalom is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located on the triple Gaza Strip-Israel-Egypt border, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 220.

The Rafah Border Crossing or Rafah Crossing Point is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine's Gaza Strip. It is located on the Egypt–Palestine border. Under a 2007 agreement between Egypt and Israel, Egypt controls the crossing but imports through the Rafah crossing require Israeli approval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erez Crossing</span> Border crossing on the northern end of the Gaza Strip

The Erez Crossing, also known as the Beit Hanoun Crossing, is a border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel. It is located at the northern end of the Gaza Strip, between the Israeli kibbutz of Erez and the Palestinian town of Beit Hanoun.

Sufa is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the Hevel Shalom area of the north-western Negev desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 233.

The restrictions on movement and goods in Gaza imposed by Israel date to the early 1990s. After Hamas took over in 2007, Israel significantly intensified existing movement restrictions and imposed a complete blockade on the movement of goods and people in and out of the Gaza Strip. In the same year, Egypt closed the Rafah crossing point. The blockade's current stated aim is to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza; previously stated motivations have included exerting economic pressure on Hamas. Human rights groups have called the blockade illegal and a form of collective punishment, as it restricts the flow of essential goods, contributes to economic hardship, and limits Gazans' freedom of movement. The blockade and its effects have led to the territory being called an "open-air prison".

Timeline of the Gaza War. For events pertaining to the conflict which occurred before 27 December 2009, see Gaza War (2008–2009)#Background and 2007–2008 Israel–Gaza conflict.

Following the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, an international conference took place on 2 March 2009 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where donor countries and international bodies pledged almost US$4.5 billion for humanitarian and reconstruction aid for the Gaza Strip. These funds bypassed Hamas, with the PA in collaboration with the donor community taking the lead in delivering and distributing the funds. Damage from the Israeli offensive was estimated to be almost $2 billion. However, actual transfers of aid had been beset by difficulties.

Kerem Shalom border crossing is a border crossing at the junction of two border sections: one between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and one between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. It is used by trucks carrying goods from Israel or Egypt to the Gaza Strip.

On 9 October 2023, Israel intensified the blockade of the Gaza Strip after the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the ensuing Israel–Hamas war when it announced a "total blockade", blocking the entry of food, water, medicine, fuel and electricity.

The Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip is a major part of the Israel–Hamas war. Starting on 7 October 2023, immediately after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel, it began bombing the Gaza Strip; on 13 October, Israel began ground operations in Gaza, and on 27 October, a full-scale invasion was launched. Israel's campaign has four stated goals: to destroy Hamas, to free the hostages, to ensure Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel, and to return displaced residents of Northern Israel. More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the Israeli operation began, including more than 7,800 children and 4,900 women, with another 10,000 people missing and presumed dead under the rubble of destroyed buildings. There are allegations that Israel has committed war crimes and genocide during the invasion.

Events in the year 2024 in Palestine.

During the Israel–Hamas war, humanitarian aid entered into the Gaza Strip via air, land and sea. Early in the war, significant issues arose with humanitarian aid. Israel's initial blockade on Gaza, immediately following the October 7 attacks, prevented the entry of humanitarian aid for several weeks. As the war progressed, aid was allowed at limited quantities. Entities such as Oxfam, the European Union, United Kingdom, and United Nations stated that Israel is deliberately blocking humanitarian aid. These limitations have contributed to a severe humanitarian crisis and a risk of famine. Israeli airstrikes and continued restrictions on aid entry led to widespread shortages of food and supplies. Distribution of aid within Gaza has also been an issue, as police have refused to protect aid convoy after airstrikes killed eight police in Rafah.

The flour massacre occurred in the Gaza Strip on 29 February 2024, when at least 118 Palestinians were killed and 760 injured after Israeli forces opened fire while the Palestinians were seeking food from aid trucks on the coastal Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City. The incident was the deadliest mass casualty event to have taken place in the Gaza Strip since the start of Israel's operation during the Israel–Hamas war, and took place a day after the World Food Programme reported that more than half a million Palestinians were at risk of famine in Gaza.

The population of the Gaza Strip has faced starvation and famine since the blockade started in 2007. As a result of this, official bodies have urged Israel to improve the facilitation of humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza. According to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, an Israeli military unit responsible for humanitarian aid, aid "is routed to Egypt and then forwarded to undergo Israeli security screening at either Nitzana or Kerem Shalom Crossings". There is also an aid delivery channel via Jordan.

Tsav 9 is a right-wing organization based in Israel, formed by some of the families of people taken hostage by Hamas fighters from the Gaza Strip on 7 October 2023 and their supporters with alleged ties to the Israel army reservists and Jewish settlers in the West Bank. It has an estimated membership count of over 400 people. The group has been involved in protests and actions against the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. On 14 June 2024, the United States State Department officially added the group to its list of sanctioned entities for impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, categorizing it as a "violent extremist" group.

During the Israel–Hamas war, societal and institutional breakdown occurred across the Gaza Strip caused by continual military assaults by the Israeli Defense Forces on Palestinian law enforcement institutions as well as widespread starvation, famine, and lack of essential supplies created by the conflict and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Due to significant destabilization caused by military conflict and the ongoing Gaza humanitarian crisis, the United Nations reported in July 2024 that significant increases in looting, killing of law enforcement and humanitarian workers expanded across the Gaza Strip, and were emblematic of greater societal breakdown and spreading "anarchy" throughout the enclave.

The Israeli blockade of aid delivery to the Gaza Strip is an Israeli act of protest that began on January 24, 2024, in which demonstrators protested against the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into the Gaza Strip. The demonstrators prevented the passage of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip at the Kerem Shalom crossing, at the Nitzana crossing, at the Port of Ashdod, and on the roads that aid trucks traveled on.

References

1 2 3 "Almost 100 Gaza aid lorries violently looted, UN agency Unrwa says". BBC News. 2024-11-18. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
1 2 3 4 Staff, Al Jazeera. "How was a UN aid convoy robbed near Israeli military positions?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Parker, Claire (18 November 2024). "Gangs looting Gaza aid operate in areas under Israeli control, aid groups say". The Washington Post.
1 2 3 4 Humayun, Pauline Lockwood, Hira (2024-11-19). "Nearly a hundred aid trucks looted in Gaza, as UN warns of 'collapse of law and order'". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
1 2 3 4 Yazbek, Hiba; Solomon, Erika (18 November 2024). "Looters Strip Aid From About 100 Trucks in Gaza, U.N. Agency Says". The New York Times . Retrieved 24 November 2024.
↑ Hasson, Nir; Yaniv, Kubovich (2024-11-11). "The Israeli Army Is Allowing Gangs in Gaza to Loot Aid Trucks and Extort Protection Fees From Drivers". www.haaretz.com Haaretz . Archived from the original on 2024-11-19. …looting of the convoys reflects the complete anarchy that prevails in Gaza due to the lack of any functioning civilian government. … Defense officials confirmed that the IDF is aware of the problem. (the Israeli government) considered making the clans to which the armed men belong responsible for distributing aid to Gaza's residents, even though some of the clans' members are involved in terrorism, and some are even affiliated with extremist organizations like the Islamic State.
↑ Burke, Jason (2024-11-18). "Gaza ministry says 20 killed in anti-'gang' operation after looting of aid convoy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-11-23.

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[:0-1] 1 2 3 "Almost 100 Gaza aid lorries violently looted, UN agency Unrwa says". BBC News. 2024-11-18. Retrieved 2024-11-23.

[:1-2] 1 2 3 4 Staff, Al Jazeera. "How was a UN aid convoy robbed near Israeli military positions?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-11-23.

[:2-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Parker, Claire (18 November 2024). "Gangs looting Gaza aid operate in areas under Israeli control, aid groups say". The Washington Post.

[:3-4] 1 2 3 4 Humayun, Pauline Lockwood, Hira (2024-11-19). "Nearly a hundred aid trucks looted in Gaza, as UN warns of 'collapse of law and order'". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[:4-5] 1 2 3 4 Yazbek, Hiba; Solomon, Erika (18 November 2024). "Looters Strip Aid From About 100 Trucks in Gaza, U.N. Agency Says". The New York Times . Retrieved 24 November 2024.

[6] Hasson, Nir; Yaniv, Kubovich (2024-11-11). "The Israeli Army Is Allowing Gangs in Gaza to Loot Aid Trucks and Extort Protection Fees From Drivers". www.haaretz.com Haaretz . Archived from the original on 2024-11-19. …looting of the convoys reflects the complete anarchy that prevails in Gaza due to the lack of any functioning civilian government. … Defense officials confirmed that the IDF is aware of the problem. (the Israeli government) considered making the clans to which the armed men belong responsible for distributing aid to Gaza's residents, even though some of the clans' members are involved in terrorism, and some are even affiliated with extremist organizations like the Islamic State.

[7] Burke, Jason (2024-11-18). "Gaza ministry says 20 killed in anti-'gang' operation after looting of aid convoy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-11-23.

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